This document outlines 10 best practices for teaching great online courses: 1. Be present at the course site every day to engage with students. 2. Create a supportive online learning community by balancing faculty-led and peer-to-peer dialogue. 3. Develop clear expectations about communication, participation, and time commitments. 4. Design a variety of individual, small group, and large group learning activities to prevent isolation. 5. Include both synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences. 6. Ask for informal feedback early in the course to identify and address problems. 7. Craft discussion posts that encourage critical thinking, exploration, and real-world connections. 8. Design wrap-up discussions to help students

1. 27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning August 3 - 5 2011 Ten Best Practices — A Quick Guide for Teaching Great Courses Online Judith V. Boettcher Designing for Learning University of Florida judith@designingforlearning.org 1 2011

2. 2011 2 PRESENCE COMMUNITY PERSONALIZATION As in Vygotsky’s ZPD

3. But, how will I “talk” to them? Do I really need to be on my course site every day? How do I know if they understand? But wait, I didn’t really mean that I would teach online “Help!” said with quiet desperation…

4. 2011 4 Where did the Best Practices Come From? Community of Inquiry model Social, Teaching and Cognitive Presence Community of learners Idea of a University Garrison, Anderson, Archer, Swan, others John Henry Newman Instructional design and learning theory How People Learn reports Research on dialogue and communication Discussion as a way of teaching Bransford, Brown and Cocking Learner-centered Teaching… Brookfield and Preskill Maryellen Weimer

5. Inspirations of Ten Learning Principles 2011 5 Constructivism and active learning Zone of Proximal Development Lev Vygotsky Daniel Schacter Jerome Bruner Memory Experiential personalized learning Cognitive apprenticeship John Dewey John Seely Brown

6. TEN BEST PRACTICES 2011 6

7. 2011 7 Yes, every day! But you can “fence” that time… Be Present at the Course Site Best Practice 1

8. 2011 8 “Is anyone out there?”

9. The “Three Presences” The Three Presences based on Online Collaboration Principles by D. R. Garrison (2006) and article by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000) 2011 9 Social Presence Teaching Presence Cognitive Presence

10. 2011 10 Social Presence - Faculty Being a person, being "real" to your learners Social presence - the ability to project oneself socially and affectively in a virtual environment Some Ideas Picture — in context Short bio Favorite food Interesting stories How do you “make yourself known” to your students? As an expert, as a mentor, as a 3D person?

11. First Week Forum: Social Presence and Trust among Learners Getting acquainted postings “My favorite movie, or book, or meditation or relaxation is….” Post one/more of their favorite pictures Pix of where they study/work/learn Describe their morning commute.. :-) Significant/favorite life experience related to the course 11 Useful in launching a “quick trust” among learners Elevator, cocktail openings, but deeper Chihuly Glass room at MFA last week

12. Teaching Presence 1– What you do before the course… Syllabus Assessment plan with assignments and rubrics Course framework and communication plan Mini-lectures, concept intros with text, YouTube videos, podcasts Forum questions Project descriptions Core, recommended and personal choice resources Week-by-week schedule 2011 12

13. Teaching Presence 2– Suggesting, Guiding, Challenging Showing the Way Group presences Announcements, reminders, guideposts Supportive, monitoring, questioning, affirming comments in the discussions and forums and blogs etc. Q&A sessions Individual presence Encouraging and shaping of individual and small team projects Individual feedback, support as may be appropriate 2011 13 Three presences “ebb and flow” over a course (Akyol and Garrison, 2008) Note: "Teaching Presence" refers to the design, direction, facilitation and feedback, from a faculty in a course.

14. Cognitive Presence Cognitive Presence - “Construction of meaning through sustained communication in a climate of trust.” 2011 14 What are the zones, readiness points of your students? Not just “turn-taking” in the forums, but a give and take conversation

15. First Week Forum: Cognitive Presence Customize learning goals Do I understand the learning outcomes of the course? What do the learning outcomes mean to me? How do I think that I will use the knowledge, skills, perspectives now and in the future? Arthur was preparing to become King. How will I personalize the learning outcomes? When I talk with my friends, family and other folks, how can I share what I am doing? 15 Who am I as a learner and why am I here?

16. 2011 16 Best Practice 2 Create a Supportive Online Course Community

17. Balanced Dialogue Helps to Build Community 2011 17 Too much faculty talk and direction Balanced communication of dialogue of mentor to learner, peer to peer and learner to resource

18. Members of a Community… “Share common joys and trials”(C. Dede, 1996) Share a sense of belonging, of continuity, of being connected to others and to ideas and values (T. J. Sergiovanni, 1994) Act within a climate of justice, discipline, caring, and occasions for celebration" (E. Boyer,1995) 2011 18 Members of a learning community care about each other and their learning successes

19. 2011 19 Where do I start? What do I do now? What do I do next? Best Practice 3 Develop a set of clear expectations

20. Best Practice 3: Develop a Set of Clear Expectations How you will communicate, how often and response times and methods How learners should be communicating and participating How much time do you design for learners to be “engaged” in content every week? Weekly guide and overview What is your "weekly rhythm?" 2011 20 Are rubrics clear and purposeful? Is 6 hours a week enough?

21. 2011 21 Best Practice 4 Design in a variety of learning experiences

22. Include Individual, Small and Large Group Learning Activities Online courses can be isolating and overwhelming Design opportunities for students to brainstorm and work through concepts and assignments with one or two or more fellow students. Small teams for complex case studies or scenarios Expert events make for great large group activities 2011 22

23. 2011 23 Best Practice 5 Design for synchronous and asynchronous experiences

24. 2011 24 Best Practice 6 Ask for Informal Feedback Early

25. Such as… How is course going? What would help you if it were different? Invite suggestions, observations How early is early? 15% of the way in to the course, second week of 15 week course Avoids problems of "postmortem" evaluations and "If I had only known!" 2011 25 “I didn’t know that anyone cared.”

26. 2011 26 Best Practice 7 Prepare Inviting, Challenging Discussion Posts

27. Characteristics of Great Posting Questions Encourage exploration and research Encourage links to local, regional, personal life experiences Socratic-type probing and follow-up questions Why do you think that? What is your reasoning? Is there an alternative strategy? Ask clarifying questions that encourage students to think about what they know and don't know 2011 27 A high priority “online skill”

28. End of Week Discussion “Wraps” Discussion wraps aid reflecting and pruning processes of learning Students might otherwise drift with questions such as … What was that all about? Where has this conversation taken me? Taken our group? What have I learned? What do I know now that I did not know before? Have I changed how I think about these ideas or problem? What does our faculty leader think? Students want to know. 2011 28

29. Best Practice 8 2011 29 Design for Digital Resources and Tools for Core Concepts and Experiences "If content and tools are not digital, it is as if it does not exist for today’s learners"

30. Why Digital Resources, Tools Are Essential… Visualize where learners are going to be…they can be anywhere, anytime and often while they are doing other things Learners want to be creative, such as making movies, podcasts, research, collect data Design for learners to research and identify resources that support learning of core concepts — for themselves and others 2011 30

31. 2011 31 “I think I can…I think I can… Best Practice 9 Combine Core Concepts with Customized Learning

32. Four Layers of Content Core Concepts and Principles Core Concepts and Principles Applying Core Concepts Problem Analysis and Solving Customized and Personalized 32 2011

33. 2011 33 Best Practice 10 Plan a Good Closing and Wrap for Your Course

35. Project sharing “beyond the course”

36. Summarize/Debrief

37. Concept mapping captures course content

38. Look to the future – what might work better?

39. Agree on “Big Ideas, Big Connections”

40. Celebrate!2011 34

41. Conclusion Very Important Guideline 2011 35 In course design, we design for the probable, expected learner; in course delivery, we flex the design to the specific, particular learners within a course. “I really enjoyed the project and how my teacher supported me in doing what was important for me personally.”

42. 36 Class of 2027 Class of 2025 Presence, Community and Personalization More resources …www.designingforlearning.info/services/writing/ecoach/tenbest.html judith@designingforlearning.org jboettcher@comcast.net