ELN113 BLOG 5

Hi Mike,
This is my very last class for 2 certs, so I'm trying to get it done efficiently.

Here is blog 5:

highlight the principles that are important to consider in course design for younger learners.

Reference: Hemschik, T. (2008). Course designs . Retrieved from http://udini.proquest.com/view/course-designs-instructional-goid:304335706/

1.)    Changing and adapting K-8 online education: K-8 students need to explore content. The designers need to ground their instruction in K-8 student pedagogy.

2.)    The development of K-8 online courses needs to be developed through the exploration of the cognitive and behavioral characteristics of that age group.

3.)    Develop the learning community: Teachers and course designers need to keep in the mind the concept of learning together. Students in k-8 have different needs than high school or college students.

Reference: Boettcher, J. (5, 2011). best practices for teaching online. Retrieved from http://www.designingforlearning.info/services/writing/ecoach/tenbest.html

This reference lists the actual best practices for teaching online.

1.)    Be present: Within the course design, the instructor needs to be present in the course. This can come in the form of discussions, replying to students via the class itself, and providing feedback.

2.)    Create a supportive online community: This can be done through thoughtful and meaningful discussions or peer reviews. Students can work together and create projects or provide feedback to each other. This is also done through effective course design as well. In canned classes, the instructor can be facilitator and reviewer of the online community while monitoring the content and watching for any inappropriate or off topic behavior.

3.)    Use a varied amount of both asynchronous and synchronous activities. Too many constraints on kids who take online courses creates un do stress, but participating in group activities or discussions can be beneficial to the tone of the course.

Reference: National center for academic transformation . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thencat.org/R2R/R2R PDFs/SuccCrsRed.pdf

1.)    Create activities that are engaging: Provide multiple opportunities for students to learn in a myriad of ways. Don’t make an online class look like an in person class, change the way you teach the lessons to more interactive technological based ideas or examples.

2.)    Provide individualized feedback: Just like a face-to-face course, provide valuable feedback on assignments so the students have an opportunity to grow and change.

3.)    Create effective assessments: Create tests and assessments so students can see individual and class growth.

4.)    Monitor Student Progress: This can mean emailing or communicating with students on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Many times schools have online teacher hold office hours in case the students need to come in for a face to face meeting or help.