Simmons GSLIS-CE Online Course Preview

What's the Course About?

Course Description: What's the difference between preparing to teach an online course and preparing to teach in a face-to-face setting? A lot! Many who are new to online teaching are surprised at how much planning and writing is involved. This course is designed to orient you to the ins and outs of online course design and authorship.

Note: This course is non-technical and software agnostic; we will not focus on the technical process of posting materials within a learning management system. Instead, we will concentrate on course planning (instructional design and materials preparation).

How Will The Course Be Run?

The course will run five weeks (five sessions). It will become available one week prior to the official start date so that you have time to look around and get oriented before the course officially begins.  After that, each Friday I will make the next session available online.  To help you keep track of your course responsibilities, each session includes a checklist and all assignment due dates are also noted in the course calendar.

Online learners frequently have day jobs, so making sessions available on a Friday allows those who wish to work on weekends a chance to get a head start.  But no deadlines fall on weekends, so people who prefer to work on weekdays can operate within that time frame.  The Friday-Friday schedule may be new to you, but I think it's good to model the rhythm and feel of a "real" online course.

Tip: Whether you choose to work over the weekend, during weekdays, or at in the wee hours of the night, I recommend that you login each Friday to read and/or print the newly-posted session. This will help you see the work that lies ahead, plan your time accordingly, and pose follow-up questions as needed.

Each session begins with work that you do on your own. Independent work varies -- you may do readings, watch videos, draft text for a syllabus or assignment, etc. Each Tuesday you will be expected to post a message about this work (I'll specify the things I'd like you to include in the Tuesday "starter post"). Between Tuesday and Friday, you will read and respond to your peers' posts-- sometimes discussing, sometimes providing each other with feedback.

I will chime in toward the end of each week. Sometimes I will respond to the whole group, other times I will provide each of you with individualized feedback, depending on the week's work.

This format is known as "scheduled asynchronous" online learning. It offers the flexibility that online students often need (a window of several days in which you can post), while also retaining the peer-to-peer and faculty interactions that help you feel connected with others in the course. If you are new to online learning, you may be surprised by the substance and depth of the discussions you have with your course colleagues.

What Will I Learn?

Even if you are an experienced educator, I encourage you to give yourself permission to live the life of an online student. This will give you the time and space you need to explore, reflect, and develop informed preferences about how you want to interact with your students online. As the class progresses, I will assign tasks that are designed to help you develop an online course of your own.

Topics:

1. A Student-Eye View of Online Learning
2. Advantages and Challenges of Online Learning
3. Developing and Implementing Online Learning
4. Identifying Goals and Assessment Strategies
5. Scaffolding Interactive Learning

What Will I Be Expected To Do?

Expect to spend between three to six hours per week working on the course. You can do this work whenever you wish, as long as the Tuesday to Friday posting deadlines are met.

Tip: Book a regular time (several sessions per week) during which you will be "in class" and block out that time your calendar or PDA. This will help you keep on track and also help you avoid feeling overwhelmed by the open-endedness of the online format.

Online learning requires significant self motivation -- it is all too easy to put off doing the assignments. However, if you commit to doing the work and meeting all the deadlines, you may find that you learn even more than you would have in a face-to-face course.

Active participation is the most important expectation for this class. Online learning involves a lot of reading and writing. This is because most course communication occurs through the written word. In a face-to-face course you might be able to sit quietly in the back of the room, but not in an online course. If you don't post to the discussion forum or to the course wiki, it's the same as skipping class!

Peer-to-peer discussion and feedback are central to the success of this course. I expect you to read your classmate's posts and drafts carefully, then provide them with substantive feedback. I also expect you to pitch in and help each other out if they have unanswered needs or questions.

By the end of the course you will have developed: (1) a draft of an online course syllabus and other orienting materials; (2) a draft or outline for an online "session" (learning sequence); (3) a strategy for assessing student learning; and (4) new friends that you can turn to for feedback and support in the future.

How do I Access the Course?

This course is offered within an online learning management system, Simmons eLearning (see screenshot above). One week prior to the course's start date, you will receive an email message that includes your username and password. To login, go to http://my.simmons.edu/elearning (note that this link opens in a new window).

I strongly recommend that you login as soon as you receive your username and password. This will give you time to familiarize yourself with the system, make sure that your computer is set up to function well with eLearning, and resolve technical glitches. The "Welcome" area of the course includes a self-paced orientation to Simmons eLearning, places to practice things like posting, and other materials designed to help you prepare for the online learning experience.

If you encounter any difficulties with eLearning or with logging in, please contact elearning@simmons.edu and describe your issue. Please cc the me gmdenatale@simmons.edu) so that I can be aware of your issues and contribute to the problem-solving process.

Who's the Teacher? How do I Contact Her?

My name is Gail Matthews-DeNatale. I have over a decade of experience in education reform and instructional design for online learning. I'm particularly interested in courses that foster a sense of community -- deep engagement with the material and the investment that comes with participating an effort that's greater than yourself.

In addition to the information provided about me on my website, http://gailonline.org, you will find current contact information and links to my publications in the attached curriculum vita (in Adobe PDF format). Email is the best way to reach me (gmdenatale@simmons.edu). I also provide my cell phone number to people who are enrolled in the course.

Gail Matthews-DeNatale
Associate Director  
Academic Technology, Simmons College   
gmdenatale@simmons.edu, 617.521.2677

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