Concerns & Tips about Online CCT instruction=

notes by Jeremy S from 8 July 08 conference call

General comments about approaches to online teaching

Bob:
- establish good communication with students – frequent contact esp. through email but in other ways as well
- take time to send feedback comments to individual students about their completed assignments
Wally:
- first time teaching without a co-teacher
- start-up issues can be challenging, particularly technical issues
- time even greater to help students who have less tech. experience
- for next time teaching: will try to have phone conversation with each student within first few weeks of class, but wants to make sure that this does not shift the center of gravity of class interactions from web-based discussions to counting too much on one-to-one discussion with Wally
Luanne:
- first time teaching 602, noticed the benefit of having the course materials so well established and organized
- helped much to attend UMB trainings for WebCT and Wimba
- relieved that students in the class sometimes already knew more than her about Wimba and quickly stepped in to help when needed
- continuing challenge is archiving the class work in an organized way, learning by doing it the first time improves understanding but also allows some inconsistency in file organization to exist after a period of time
- although the course materials are well established, the technical layout of the online system may not naturally and obviously line up to the course materials, e.g. the greeting book, blog, and discussion tools need to be considered in context
Suzanne:
- the online experience is radically different than the live classroom one
- in online classes, there is a greater feel of being self-directed for students
- still discovering and seeking ways to make the online experience more interactive and enriching
- can be a challenge to create materials/ideas for class sessions one week at a time
- not clear how discussions and blogs differ, or why each might be appropriate in separate situations

Open Discussion

Bob:
- the idea of “collaborative assignments” require time for students to get used to them, but it is well worth that time and can work
- with the use of chat, email, blogging, others, there is actually the possibility for more interaction between students than might occur in face-to-face classrooms in a certain sense
- it helps to have a very clear and complete syllabus, and mentioning and explaining collaborative nature of assignments help set proper expectations
- holds voice conference with each student once during the semester
- uses collaboration in two main ways: weekly assignments involving 2-person collaborations, and longer-term project involving small group of collaborating students
Wally:
- the idea of the courses being “self-directed” and using “collaboration” are not in conflict – both can exist but take forms in complementary ways
Luanne:
- students in her class developed an online museum of creativity with impressive results as well as collaborated in completing online presentations
Wally:
- has developed a opportunity for students to maintain their own workspace containing their work, and students can make comments on each other’s work
- password-protected web space that is separate from WebCT, but can make available to online instructor’s group for review

Question from Peter: As far as developing awareness/interest in the CCT program for online students, how have online instructors addressed making this connection?

Wally:
- in his course (618), this has not been a formal part of the class
Bob:
- is aware that at least a few past students have gone on to apply to CCT
Luanne:
- has found that a number of students entered the class thinking that “creativity” or “creative thinking” more specifically addresses the creativity of traditional forms of art, but students have become impressed with the understanding that creativity might actually be a serious academic and intellectual endeavor
- students have found ways to understand how attention to creative and critical thinking can link to getting to a new place in their lives, and the 602 course is a naturally good course to emphasize this
Peter:
- reminder that the program might try to be more consistent with sending letters to students
Wally:
- having more students in CCT program taking online courses can help to bring in more of the program itself
- asked students about who was simultaneously taking other CCT courses, and some response was that this workload might be too heavy, but this might provide an opportunity, if students might be encouraged to take multiple courses at a time
Peter:
- these points are a reminder that the CCT program might look at interaction with instructors as a mirror of how instructors interact with students – more direct voice contact, as a conduit for sharing ideas between instructors and the program
- Peter and Jeremy to consider how to support ongoing connections and sharing
- work-in-progress issue of getting students to use the online tools (incl. wiki) and need to remember that there will be always a need to guide students

Bob:
- question: how does UMB approach the marketing of online courses? could they do more? not apparent that the UMB offerings appear as often and in the same places on the web that point to online university education
Peter:
- mutual relationship between CCT program and CCDE – having online courses available is a quid pro quo for CCDE marketing on behalf of the program
- certificate is listed on printed catalog and web site
Luanne:
- was able to forward info. from Mass Art to CCDE for getting online courses posted externally over the web
- can CCDE ask web sites to post the UMB courses on web sites that have online course banks?
Peter:
- if there is potential for this to be done, it should still go through Peter to make sure that the face-to-face connections happen between the program and CCDE; take advantage of existing relationship between them
- example of potential relationship forming with Chinese students seeking online education, may be one way to think about forming connections that attract more students
Luanne:
- wider publication of courses on web relatively easy; provided example of remote student who did not participate in online course, so it can also allow for possibility of anonymous disengagement