Effective Online Strategies

In the article 10 Simple Rules for Online Pivo Links to an external site.t,  Links to an external site.Normann, et all describe 10 rules for supporting a temporary online transition (pivot). We have created a set of questions below to reflect on and consider how you can apply some of the suggestions in the article to your teaching context.

Provide Asynchronous Content

Unless interaction is necessary, content that is recorded and provided asynchronously, so that students can access it at a time that is suitable for them, will allow students to engage with their studies in a flexible way

Provide Synchronous and Asynchronous Contact and Communication

Students should be given multiple avenues for both synchronous (students and instructors must be online at the same time) and asynchronous (students can engage on their own schedule) contact with staff and peers, and the differing intended purpose of each mode of contact must be clear.

The following are some examples of opportunities for synchronous communication

Set and Communicate Clear Expectations about Engagement

For many students, this will be the first time they have had to learn in a fully online environment, and it is vital that your expectations for engagement are communicated clearly at the beginning of the course.

 

Design Appropriate Assessments  and Communicate Expectations Clearly 

It may be tempting during this time to consider that assessments can simply be put online with very little change to the format or guidance beyond that which is practically necessary. There is considerable evidence, however, that assessment and, importantly, the associated feedback are important moderators of student behavior and help to build feelings of community and belonging with a students’ chosen discipline

Monitor and Support Engagement

Throughout all framings, engagement is considered an extremely important aspect of student learning]. Consider how you will monitor behavioral engagement (e.g., how much material students have engaged with) and psychological engagement (e.g., their new identities as online learners and how they are coping with the transition).

 

Ensure that course content is available, accessible, and signposted

Whilst much of the focus will be on pivoting lectures and labs online, it is important not to forget about associated resources. For example, ensure that material included on reading lists does not require physical access to the library. This may require the temporary use of less-favored alternative material; however, it is these small details that are likely to make a difference to student engagement and retention, and reading lists that contain material they cannot access will likely create a negative impression that may be difficult to overcome when “normal” service resumes.

 

Create a community for staff and students

The success of the online pivot will not be determined by the quality of video content but by the strength of the community that emerges from the other side. Online communities can be very strong, particularly in education. The so-called “campus imaginary” can be a powerful draw for the distance learning student, where they feel part of a community that may not be entirely reflective of the on-campus experience

 

The excerpt is adapted from 10 Simple Rules for an Online Pivot Links to an external site. by Norman et al, is licensed under a CC-BY Attribution 4.0 License