|
How
do the things you have learned about your students impact your planning
strategies and design?
| Location
(distance) |
- If
students are geographically dispersed:
- posting
all your course materials will be a necessity
- the
sound design of your course site and course materials
is key to the success of your course
- facilitating
online student-student and faculty-student interaction
is critical in the absence of face to face interaction
- synchronous
chats will most likely not be feasible because of time
zone difference
|
| Technology
(access/comfort) |
- For
students not comfortable with technology, you might want
to slowly ease them into using Blackboard. Start with putting
your syllabus online and gradually add materials to your
course site as your students become more comfortable with
the technology.
- If
you choose to use the Discussion Board or another "advanced"
feature, demonstrate how to use the tool in class first
before you require students to use it on their own. Hold
class in a cluster so students can practice posting to the
Discussion Board after your demonstration.
- If
students don't have the necessary software to download your
materials, let them know where they can download the appropriate
plug-ins or viewers that are typically free. For example,
there is a free
PowerPoint 97 viewer.
- Point
them to the document How
to Get Started
- Give
them some recommendations about how to avoid known problems
- point them to the Blackboard
FAQ.
|
| Learning
Styles |
- Use
a variety of methods for presenting your material in order
to accommodate students with different learning styles
- visual
learners (learn through seeing):
- tend
to think in pictures and learn best from visual
displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books
and handouts, and video
- prefer
to take detailed notes to absorb the information
- auditory
learners (learn through listening):
- learn
best through verbal lectures, discussions, and audio
presentations
- written
information may have little meaning until it is
heard
- tactile/kinesthetic
learners (learn through , moving, doing and touching):
- learn
best with a hands-on approach through assignments,
projects, and labs
|
| Motivation
Issues |
- Adapt
your course and presentation style to accommodate students'
interests
- Facilitate
student collaboration and interaction
|
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