10 best practices for eLearning

Best practice 1 

"Be present at the course site. I would like to be available to the students." This will be indicated with a recorded welcome video using 'Screen-O-Matic' and written information of my contact information and availability. 

Best practice 2 

"Create a supportive online course community." There would be an icebreaker activity. Also an area where fellow students can have discussions such as a 'water cooler' area. 

Best practice 3 

"Develop a set of explicit expectations for your learners and yourself as to how you will communicate and how much time students should be working on the course each week." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) Having these quality guidelines will ensure the students to best reach you and their partners. Let the students set up meetings with each other and ensure they know the deadline of each assignment with a course outline assignment schedule.

Best practice 4 

"Use a variety of large group small group, and individual work experiences." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) Once the ice breaker(s) have been completed and the students know the process of communicating and interacting will be with partners and small group work. Can have partners work on a project using 'Wikispaces' or 'Prezi'. There would be an assignment rubric which indicates which tasks such as pre reading in textbooks, chapter available to read for the students. I would give examples of tech tools they may use in order for the students to know that their expectations are. 

Best practice 5 

"Use synchronous and asynchronous activities." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010). 

This activity which students can participate in (different log in times) asynchronous activity is “IRA’s (Insights, Resource Sharing and Applications” (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, pg. 88) Instructions for this activity are to; "Start this activity before a case scenario. Post an IRA in a discussion board. The Insight section you create bullet points from the reading (approx. one sentence each). This is your insight. Grab them during your readings and be prepared to summarize them briefly on the discussion board. Share one other resource that amplifies themes form the assigned reading. Cite your Resource using APA give one more than one or two sentences about how this resource is relevant to the assigned readings and discussion. Then for the Application provide a one-paragraph example form current clinical or past experience. This captures your thoughts about how the reading is related to something that is currently happening or something from your clinical past. Does the reading validate your insights about a particular event or situation help to clarify what a different approach may have looked like?" (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, pg. 88) The activity enables students to learn and share material and their thoughts of the knowledge. “The ability to critically think, evaluate and share perception.” (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, pg. 90) The students are actively learning and sharing insights for this activity.  

Best practice 6 

"Ask for informal feedback early in the term." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) A check in activity can be completed in a form of an email or multiple question style survey. 

Best practice 7 

"Prepare discussion posts that invite responses, questions, discussions and reflections." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) An activity "I didn't know that." (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, pg.87) The instructors will get students to add to a "discussion thread where you post something new that you've learned this week, either from another student, from the text or from class discussions. Indicate how you will use the new information."(Conrad & Donaldson, 2011, pg.87) This brings the student to reflect on the course material but most importantly is the critical thought of what they will do with the information. 

Best practice 8 

"Search out and use content resources that are available in digital format if possible." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) Contact your library resources, as there may be online resources available to use in online courses. There are copyright guidelines to ensure there are no copyright infringements in your online course. Below is the Canadian government site, which give you the basics of copyright. 

http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipoInternet-Internetopic.nsf/eng/h_wr02281.html 

Also here is an article about copyright in online courses; Copyright Issues in Online Courses: A moment in Time from Athabasca University written by Lori-Ann Claerhout. http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch9.html 

Best practice 9 

"Combine core concept learning with customized and personalized learning." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) A reflective paper on what was learned and how will you use the information in your life. 

Best practice 10 

"Plan a good closing and wrap activity for the course." (Boettcher & Conrad, pg. 36, 2010) Can ask the students what were the key highlights and frustrations with examples.


References

Boettcher, J. & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: simple and 

practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.


Canadian Intellectual Property Office. (2015). A guide to copyright. Retrieved from http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipoInternet-Internetopic.nsf/eng/h_wr02281.html 


Claerhout, Lori-Ann, (2004). Copyright Issues in Online Courses: A moment in Time. Athabasca University. Retrieved from http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch9.html