How to Teach Online 24/7/365

A survey conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group regarding online learning showed that the number of students enrolled in one or more online courses was nearly 7 million in 2011.  This was more than a half million increase over 2010. At the college level, 32 percent of students are taking at least one online course.

As online education literally explodes, the issue facing the education system is that teaching online is not the same as teaching face to face.  If you’re a teacher, be it home school, public school, Bible study teacher, or someone who teaches a special skill or subject, you know this. 

The question for many people wishing to transition to teaching in a virtual classroom is a very simple one:  How do I do an effective job of teaching online?

That’s the question this course is designed to answer.  In this course, University of Phoenix Advanced Certified Online Instructor David Lantz walks you through the teaching strategies being used by the best online college instructors to teach in an asynchronous online course. 

Lesson Materials

A total of 17 video lessons divided between 3 course modules constitute the core of the learning materials.  These videos are recorded power point presentations converted to video designed to emphasize key learning objectives.   Additionally, each module is accompanied by an ebook (PDF) designed to round out the video presentations.  Each module is introduced and concluded by a video of the course creator, David Lantz.

A fourth module, Next Steps, concludes the course, and offers several other resources the student may wish to take advantage of.

Depending on the pace of the online learner, one should plan to spend about four hours going through the materials.  

Course Organization

The course is divided into three modules. The first module, Creating a Culture of Self- Discipline Online, is designed to help you learn how to motivate your students to develop the self-discipline required to learn in the online environment.  This module is, in turn subdivided into three parts.

• Learning Modality and Student Motivation
• Establishing Participation Expectations
• Building an Online Community

The second module, Managing the Online Classroom, recognizes that online facilitation involves three basic areas of focus: organizational, social, and intellectual.  The instructor, therefore, should see his or her role as being that as a facilitator of online learning, rather than simply the “Sage on the Stage.”  This module is also subdivided into three parts.

• Socratic Teaching: How to Teach by Asking Questions
• It’s ALL About What you Say and How You Say It 
• Online Interaction: Best Practices

The third module, Preparing to Teach in the Flipped Classroom, examines the trend of having the student access the “lecture” via video/online instruction created by the instructor or another educator before coming to a face to face class. The role of the classroom teacher changes from Lecturer to Mentor.  Rather than spending time teaching in class, the instructor uses learning-based activities.  Doing this effectively requires the teacher to put a lot of effort into his/her course preparation up front.  This module delivers the following three sessions: 

• Enabling Your Students to Learn 24/7/365
• Creating Your On Demand Unidirectional Materials 
• Exploring an Asynchronous Learning Management Classroom.

Why Take This Course

The explosion in online learning requires educators who know how to teach online.  Key research findings about student learning in the online classroom underscore the importance of having instructors who can manage the online classroom to insure that students learn.   Online facilitation involves three basic areas of focus: organizational, social, and intellectual.  How to Teach in the Online Classroom 24/7/365 covers all three of these aspects of online instruction to prepare you to teach online.