Teaching online courses

An intensive introduction to supporting student learning in online environments

This is the first in a series of three courses, which together will help you prepare for planning and teaching online courses.

The short, practical OCSLD course on online tutoring has been updated to give the opportunity to work not only within the Brookes Virtual online learning environment but also begin to explore the potential of using publicly available online social spaces eg ‘Web 2.0’ applications such as blogs and wikis for facilitation of online learning activities.

There is really no other way to learn the skills required of the online tutor other than in the online environment. This course is highly participative and is designed around frequent opportunities for participants to practise and receive feedback on their developing skills as an online tutor. Past participants have valued the supportive online communities that developed as a result of collaborative work. One said:

For me, the experience has shown what collaborative learning is really about because I have experienced it properly for myself for the first time.

You will be supported through these scheduled activities by selected key readings, specially developed course resources, a personal tutor and guest experts. The course tutors are all experienced professional developers and skilled online tutors, bringing with them experiences education and training from both the education and commercial sectors.

Aims

This short course aims to:

Support the development of your pedagogical and social skills needed to tutor online.
Help you to exploit the potential of the Internet and particularly, of virtual learning environments, in designing your teaching, learning and assessment.
Help you reflect on and continue to monitor and develop your teaching practice.

Expected learning outcomes

By the end of this course you should be able to:

explain the characteristics of online communication and use strategies for communicating effectively in the online environment
be receptive to the social cues from individuals and groups in the online environment
discuss the application of key educational concepts to designing online learning environments
explain the benefits of using online groups to learn and use strategies for building and moderating online discussions
access and use a repertoire of online activities including generating online activities from familiar offline tasks.

Course participants

This course is designed for teachers and trainers from all education sectors and all disciplines. Reliable and regular access to internet services is a pre-requisite - broadband is an added advantage - and we welcome international participants. It will be of most interest to staff who are preparing to make use of online environments such as virtual learning environments and discussions as well as expanding to explore the potential of using online social spaces. We’ve called the course online tutoring to reflect its emphasis on the skills of facilitating communication, interaction and learning in individuals and groups of learners. A previous participant said:

The difference in my preparedness for being an online tutor pre and post this course is pretty much total. Though I still have an awful lot to learn, the experiential nature of the course and its depth, range and professionalism has painted a picture for me of what it means to be an online tutor.

Learning and teaching activities

There is really no other way to learn the skills required of the online tutor other than in the online environment. Therefore the course has been designed around notions of experiential learning - learning by doing. This means that as a participant, you are expected to play an active part in the course.

Another past participant said

The most valuable thing for me about the course was the exercises: you learn so much more by doing something. And of course working in Blue Team and benefiting from the views and experiences of other team members.

During the online activities you will be expected to work through some guided readings, record your thoughts, share your work with others in your group, discuss your work and that of other members of your group, analyse and summarise your findings. Each week your role will change a little, some weeks you might be asked to just share your own experiences, in another you could put forward a proposal on behalf of your group, and in another you might take on the role of the group facilitator.

You will require access to the Internet for 4-6 hours per week in order to participate.

You will be provided with a course text: Janet Macdonald's Blended Learning and Online Tutoring.

Assessment

OCSLD online courses are not formally assessed or accredited. We do offer Certificates of Attendance to those who participate in each of the course's main learning activities.