1. Lessons from the field:
An analysis of online instructors’
lessons learned about teaching online
Joni Dunlap
University of Colorado Denver
Patrick Lowenthal
Boise State University

6. We created a list of “lessons learned”
about teaching online courses
so far…

7. Patrick’s #1:
Feedback is
essential

8. Joni’s #2: Don't under-estimate the
power of fun, play, & the
unexpected

9. Started collecting “lessons” from
colleagues at conferences...
9

10. Data collection
• CiTE 2011, Denver, CO
• CU Online Symposium 2011, Aurora, CO
• Colorado Learning & Teaching with
Technology (COLTT) 2011, Boulder, CO
• ED-MEDIA 2012, Denver, CO
• EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) 2013,
Denver, CO
10

11. Your lessons…
Now it’s your turn!
What are your lessons learned?
Go to
http://tinyurl.com/LessonsLearnedELI2013

12. Google Doc
12

13. Analysis of “lessons learned”
• Shared preliminary themes with conference
colleagues, modified based on feedback
• Review of results, seven themes emerged:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Preparation
Student support
Assessment and expectations
Structure and presentation
Engagement and activity
Presence
Personal impact
13

14. #1. Preparation
• Be prepared up front to be flexible
(expect the unexpected, no matter
how prepared you think you are)…
• Be well prepared. Quality comes from
advanced thoughtfulness.
• Have plans A, B, C... for all modalities
• Nothing beats preparation
• Technology fails. Have a back-up plan.
14

15. #1. Preparation
• Be prepared up front to be flexible
(expect the unexpected, no matter
how prepared you think you are)…
• Be well prepared. Quality comes from
advanced thoughtfulness.
• Have plans A, B, C... for all modalities
• Nothing beats preparation
• Technology fails. Have a back-up plan.
15

16. #1. Preparation
• Be prepared up front to be flexible
(expect the unexpected, no matter
how prepared you think you are)…
• Be well prepared. Quality comes from
advanced thoughtfulness.
• Have plans A, B, C... for all modalities
• Nothing beats preparation
• Technology fails. Have a back-up plan.
16

17. #1. Preparation
• Be prepared up front to be flexible
(expect the unexpected, no matter
how prepared you think you are)…
• Be well prepared. Quality comes from
advanced thoughtfulness.
• Have plans A, B, C... for all modalities
• Nothing beats preparation
• Technology fails. Have a back-up plan.
17

18. #1. Preparation
• Be prepared up front to be flexible
(expect the unexpected, no matter
how prepared you think you are)…
• Be well prepared. Quality comes from
advanced thoughtfulness.
• Have plans A, B, C... for all modalities
• Nothing beats preparation
• Technology fails. Have a back-up plan.
18

19. #2. Student Support
• Address all learning styles
• Champion the student voice
• Prompt and frequent feedback is a
must
• Give students choices
• Make sure your students can’t get lost
• Account for cultural differences
19

20. #2. Student Support
• Address all learning styles
• Champion the student voice
• Prompt and frequent feedback is a
must
• Give students choices
• Make sure your students can’t get lost
• Account for cultural differences
20

21. #2. Student Support
• Address all learning styles
• Champion the student voice
• Prompt and frequent feedback is a
must
• Give students choices
• Make sure your students can’t get lost
• Account for cultural differences
21

22. #2. Student Support
• Address all learning styles
• Champion the student voice
• Prompt and frequent feedback is a
must
• Give students choices
• Make sure your students can’t get lost
• Account for cultural differences
22

23. #2. Student Support
• Address all learning styles
• Champion the student voice
• Prompt and frequent feedback is a
must
• Give students choices
• Make sure your students can’t get lost
• Account for cultural differences
23

24. #2. Student Support
• Address all learning styles
• Champion the student voice
• Prompt and frequent feedback is a
must
• Give students choices
• Make sure your students can’t get lost
• Account for cultural differences
24

25. #3. Assessment & Expectations
• Have effective rubrics
• Grade frequently...if you don’t grade,
they don’t do
• Model what you want from students
• Be more concrete and explicit with
instructions
25

26. #3. Assessment & Expectations
• Have effective rubrics
• Grade frequently...if you don’t grade,
they don’t do
• Model what you want from students
• Be more concrete and explicit with
instructions
26

27. #3. Assessment & Expectations
• Have effective rubrics
• Grade frequently...if you don’t grade,
they don’t do
• Model what you want from students
• Be more concrete and explicit with
instructions
27

28. #3. Assessment & Expectations
• Have effective rubrics
• Grade frequently...if you don’t grade,
they don’t do
• Model what you want from students
• Be more concrete and explicit with
instructions
28

29. #4. Structure & Presentation
• Put information in digestible chunks
• Use guest lectures where appropriate
• Assign meaningful work
• Use technology intentionally
• Integrate visual components
• Be careful about “eye candy” for
technology’s sake
• Know your technology and make it
relevant to course objectives
29

30. #4. Structure & Presentation
• Put information in digestible chunks
• Use guest lectures where appropriate
• Assign meaningful work
• Use technology intentionally
• Integrate visual components
• Be careful about “eye candy” for
technology’s sake
• Know your technology and make it
relevant to course objectives
30

31. #4. Structure & Presentation
• Put information in digestible chunks
• Use guest lectures where appropriate
• Assign meaningful work
• Use technology intentionally
• Integrate visual components
• Be careful about “eye candy” for
technology’s sake
• Know your technology and make it
relevant to course objectives
31

32. #4. Structure & Presentation
• Put information in digestible chunks
• Use guest lectures where appropriate
• Assign meaningful work
• Use technology intentionally
• Integrate visual components
• Be careful about “eye candy” for
technology’s sake
• Know your technology and make it
relevant to course objectives
32

33. #4. Structure & Presentation
• Put information in digestible chunks
• Use guest lectures where appropriate
• Assign meaningful work
• Use technology intentionally
• Integrate visual components
• Be careful about “eye candy” for
technology’s sake
• Know your technology and make it
relevant to course objectives
33

34. #4. Structure & Presentation
• Put information in digestible chunks
• Use guest lectures where appropriate
• Assign meaningful work
• Use technology intentionally
• Integrate visual components
• Be careful about “eye candy” for
technology’s sake
• Know your technology and make it
relevant to course objectives
34

35. #4. Structure & Presentation
• Put information in digestible chunks
• Use guest lectures where appropriate
• Assign meaningful work
• Use technology intentionally
• Integrate visual components
• Be careful about “eye candy” for
technology’s sake
• Know your technology and make it
relevant to course objectives
35

36. #5. Engagement and activity
• You can never do too much to get
students to engage
• Create opportunities for students to
create community and solve their own
problems
• Give students the opportunity to
construct the learning
• Make a connection between student
career needs and assignments
36

37. #5. Engagement and activity
• You can never do too much to get
students to engage
• Create opportunities for students to
create community and solve their own
problems
• Give students the opportunity to
construct the learning
• Make a connection between student
career needs and assignments
37

38. #5. Engagement and activity
• You can never do too much to get
students to engage
• Create opportunities for students to
create community and solve their own
problems
• Give students the opportunity to
construct the learning
• Make a connection between student
career needs and assignments
38

39. #5. Engagement and activity
• You can never do too much to get
students to engage
• Create opportunities for students to
create community and solve their own
problems
• Give students the opportunity to
construct the learning
• Make a connection between student
career needs and assignments
39

40. #6. Social Presence
• Know your audience
• Be accessible
• Be kind
• Have a sense of humor
• Use synchronous technologies
• Show your character...personality is a good
thing
• Being present matters
• Create a sense of community
• Put faces with names
40

41. #6. Social Presence
• Know your audience
• Be accessible
• Be kind
• Have a sense of humor
• Use synchronous technologies
• Show your character...personality is a good
thing
• Being present matters
• Create a sense of community
• Put faces with names
41

42. #6. Social Presence
• Know your audience
• Be accessible
• Be kind
• Have a sense of humor
• Use synchronous technologies
• Show your character...personality is a good
thing
• Being present matters
• Create a sense of community
• Put faces with names
42

43. #6. Social Presence
• Know your audience
• Be accessible
• Be kind
• Have a sense of humor
• Use synchronous technologies
• Show your character...personality is a good
thing
• Being present matters
• Create a sense of community
• Put faces with names
43

44. #6. Social Presence
• Know your audience
• Be accessible
• Be kind
• Have a sense of humor
• Use synchronous technologies
• Show your character...personality is a good
thing
• Being present matters
• Create a sense of community
• Put faces with names
44

45. #6. Social Presence
• Know your audience
• Be accessible
• Be kind
• Have a sense of humor
• Use synchronous technologies
• Show your character...personality is a good
thing
• Being present matters
• Create a sense of community
• Put faces with names
45

46. #6. Social Presence
• Know your audience
• Be accessible
• Be kind
• Have a sense of humor
• Use synchronous technologies
• Show your character...personality is a good
thing
• Being present matters
• Create a sense of community
• Put faces with names
46

47. #6. Social Presence
• Know your audience
• Be accessible
• Be kind
• Have a sense of humor
• Use synchronous technologies
• Show your character...personality is a good
thing
• Being present matters
• Create a sense of community
• Put faces with names
47

48. #6. Social Presence
• Know your audience
• Be accessible
• Be kind
• Have a sense of humor
• Use synchronous technologies
• Show your character...personality is a good
thing
• Being present matters
• Create a sense of community
• Put faces with names
48

49. #7a. Personal Impact, on teaching
• The world is your audience
• I’ve learned how to use an iPad
• Online teaching isn’t about taking your faceto-face course materials & uploading them
to a course!
• It’s important to teaching faculty how to
teach online
• Use tools like the Quality Matters rubric when
designing
• Mini-lectures are better lectures!
49

50. #7a. Personal Impact, on teaching
• The world is your audience
• I’ve learned how to use an iPad
• Online teaching isn’t about taking your faceto-face course materials & uploading them
to a course!
• It’s important to teaching faculty how to
teach online
• Use tools like the Quality Matters rubric when
designing
• Mini-lectures are better lectures!
50

51. #7a. Personal Impact, on teaching
• The world is your audience
• I’ve learned how to use an iPad
• Online teaching isn’t about taking your faceto-face course materials & uploading them
to a course!
• It’s important to teaching faculty how to
teach online
• Use tools like the Quality Matters rubric when
designing
• Mini-lectures are better lectures!
51

52. #7a. Personal Impact, on teaching
• The world is your audience
• I’ve learned how to use an iPad
• Online teaching isn’t about taking your faceto-face course materials & uploading them
to a course!
• It’s important to teaching faculty how to
teach online
• Use tools like the Quality Matters rubric when
designing
• Mini-lectures are better lectures!
52

53. #7a. Personal Impact, on teaching
• The world is your audience
• I’ve learned how to use an iPad
• Online teaching isn’t about taking your faceto-face course materials & uploading them
to a course!
• It’s important to teaching faculty how to
teach online
• Use tools like the Quality Matters rubric when
designing
• Mini-lectures are better lectures!
53

54. #7a. Personal Impact, on teaching
• The world is your audience
• I’ve learned how to use an iPad
• Online teaching isn’t about taking your faceto-face course materials & uploading them
to a course!
• It’s important to teaching faculty how to
teach online
• Use tools like the Quality Matters rubric when
designing
• Mini-lectures are better lectures!
54

55. #7b. Personal Impact, on time
• Teaching online can be done
anytime/anywhere, but it sure stinks to
be teaching while on vacation
• Don’t underestimate the time
commitment to teach online
55

56. #7b. Personal Impact, on time
• Teaching online can be done
anytime/anywhere, but it sure stinks to
be teaching while on vacation
• Don’t underestimate the time
commitment to teach online
56

57. “Lessons learned” = recommendations
• What are your thoughts
about the seven themes?
• What are your “lessons
learned”?
• What would you add, is
there a missing theme?
?
57

58. Joni Dunlap | joni.dunlap@ucdenver.edu
Patrick Lowenthal | patricklowenthal@boisestate.edu
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