Online teaching offers instructors the opportunity to design robust, cohesive, and challenging courses for the online environment, craft meaningful, interactive, and flexible learning experiences that reach a broader audience than what is possible in an on-site classroom, and, over time, master new teaching methods powered by technology that are proven to make a difference in student’s lives.
At its heart, online teaching is an iterative process of continuous improvement: teachers make small, evidenced-based, and actionable improvements over a course’s life based on things we learn from and with others (colleagues and designers) to build exceptional online courses for and with our students. In this regard, online teaching is a collaborative (occasionally messy) and incredibly human experience.
This doesn’t mean online teaching is not without its difficulties. Because students often spend time navigating online platforms without real-time support from their instructors, online courses need to be well-designed, so the instruction is effective. While online classes vary from instructor to instructor, there are core elements of quality online teaching we can highlight that ensure that online instruction is accessible and equitable to limit student barriers to success.
Quality online teaching is often:
Flexible: Online teaching often occurs via asynchronous lectures, readings, activities, discussions, and feedback that allow both students and faculty the ability to work according to their schedules.
Humanizing: Online teaching prioritizes the development of instructor-to-student and student-to-student relationships to overcome issues of student isolation and foster a classroom community that supports everyone.
Organized: Online teaching utilizes Learning Management Systems (LMS—Canvas at MS State) to organize, scaffold, align, and deliver content (video lectures, readings, homework sets, discussions, lab simulations, etc.) in a manner that is clear and fosters effective time on task for students.
Engaging and Interactive: Online teaching embraces the variety of interactions made possible while teaching online. This often means using LMS features and other tools and technologies to support diverse learners and complement your approach to teaching.
Accessible: Online teaching prioritizes accessibility and works to eliminate barriers to learning so that all students can engage fully in the course.
Intentional: Online teaching is deliberate and ensures that all instruction and technology align with the overall course’s learning outcomes to enable students to succeed.
Please let us know how we can support you with online teaching at Mississippi State!
