Sunday, 29 November 2009

Instructor Tips for the First Week of an Online Class.

In this post I share my notes from the front lines. I try to capture some of the realities I experience when teaching online. I hope these ideas help you as an online teacher and learner.

Getting Started: First Week

The first week of an online class is always intense. Students are nervous and disoriented. Learning the course patterns, understanding expectations, and getting your peers helps lower stress..

The first discussion is crucial to starting on a positive note.

Social Icebreakers

A social icebreaker is essential for an online class.  As a student, I'd drop a course without an icebreaker, because I know I learn best in a community oriented setting.

As an instructor I know that all students need to feel recognized and included. I also know the sooner we build an interdependent community the sooner the understanding and deeper conversations will begin.

The icebreaker discussion gives everyone in the class a chance to talk about something light and interesting. It's a chance to make a first impression and connect with others. This first conversation if often like walking through a crowded room where everyone is talking and sharing. We must all learn how to listen to what's being said and interact when we see a conversational opportunity.

I always like to start a class with a big social exchange. It gives folks a chance to learn the software while they get to know each other without the pressure of an academic assignment.

Why break the ice?  icebreaker

Icebreaker discussions tend to have a lot of posts.  Some students feel compelled to read and respond to everyone.  Some feel overwhelmed with too many posts to read. This is a teachable moment where folks can learn how to work in with online discussions  and use skim, skip, or save tactics. Of course as an instructor, you are compelled to read and respond to all. This first contact is important to establishing trust and should be taken seriously.

Some students are anxious to get into the academic elements of the course. They wonder why we are wasting time with this big discussion? This reaction is more common in the first courses of the E-Learning Certificate.  With experience we understand the critical importance of creating a social connection early in a class. Without some initial bonding, online courses can become very lonesome places.

(Reminder to self: Send a mid-first week email reminding academic to participate in the academic discussion as well as the Icebreaker.)


Conversing with Technology

We depend on discussion forums for deep, time shifted conversation. However, It's difficult to teach the details of D2L's discussion forums during the first week of a class.  People are already on information overload, and likely to skip or miss the tutorials we provide in advance. Expect your students to dive into the discussions. However, it's a mistake to assume students know how to manipulate the discussion software.  Many e-learners only know one slim way to use the software.

Quick Tips for D2L Discussion Settings:  When responding, it can be distracting and time consuming for readers to skim through the quoted text of all respondents.  You can manually delete quoted text, or you can use D2L Settings to globally change your discussion experience.

1. Click settings:









Next be sure the box at the bottom of the screen is NOT checked.



















Changing Subject Lines

When you respond change the subject line of a message. This makes message threads easier to scan. Try to capture the essence of your post in the subject area in a way that will induce a reader to click on your response.  Some students quickly pick up on this professional tip.  Others don't.

Off to a Good start

After the start up it takes a few more weeks to really get the classes rolling. The intent is always to kindle conversation and ownership so the students power up the learning environment. My job is to coach each class as it becomes a community and to maximize the opportunity for everyone to learn from each other.

What do you think?

I invite your ideas and comments.  Let's share what we think!

~ Dennis O'Connor

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

St. Petersburg College - College and Degrees Review

A brief look at the university – St. Petersburg College university review and university evaluation

St. Petersburg College is a fully accredited post-secondary education institution located in St. Petersburg, Florida. On average, this college serves some 65,000 students annually. It was formerly known as St. Petersburg Junior College or SPJC; it is commonly referred to SPC nowadays. The College was founded in 1927 as a private community college and was Florida's first two-year institution of higher learning. Today, it is a public institution, which provides community college programs to students. In 2001, the college also expanded their curriculum to enable students to do their four-year bachelor degree program in selected subjects. As of 2009, there are no known controversies for this college.

One unique aspect of St. Petersburg College is that it is a purely commuter college and has no residents. This is largely due to the fact that no single campus is large enough to warrant a need for student housing. Despite the diverse range of courses available, many of SPC campuses tend to specialize in one or two specific fields. SPC is an established institution and has achieved many accolades in education. Four years in a row St. Petersburg College was designated Florida’s leader in distance learning among the state's 28 other community colleges.

Moreover, St. Petersburg College ranked first in the number of courses offered (2,309) and the number of students (16,656). What is noteworthy is that St. Petersburg College is consistently placed near the top of the Community College Week’s Top 100 Associate’s Degree Producer’s List. In the primary category consisting all Disciplines, SPC was ranked 10th. All information was gleaned from Wikipedia, the official university website and other relevant and related university websites.

Which university courses are offered here at St. Petersburg College?

There is a wide variety of university courses to choose from; one can choose from hundreds of accredited courses in dozens of online degree and certificate programs. Some of them are shown as follows:

Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.)

Banking
Business Administration
Dental Hygiene
Health Services Administration
International Business
Management and Organizational Leadership
Public Safety Administration
Sustainability Management
Technology Management
Veterinary Technology


Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Nursing


Associate in Arts (A.A.) - You can complete all your A.A. degree requirements right at your desktop with online courses from the e-Campus!


Associate in Science (A.S.)

Crime Scene Technology
Emergency Administration and Management
Fire Science
Funeral Services
Health Information Management
Healthcare Informatics
Medical Laboratory Technology
Veterinary Technology


Certificates

Advanced Technical Certificate in Critical Care
Computer Related Crime Investigations
Crime Scene Technology
Emergency Administration and Management
Emergency Care
Fire Inspector I
Fire Inspector II
Fire Investigator I
Fire Investigator II
Fire Officer I
Fire Officer II
Gangs Enforcement Management
Healthcare Informatics
Medical Coder
Sepsis Awareness and Education
Veterinary Hospital Management


Finance and other important matters

All this important information was gleaned from Wikipedia, the college website, and also other helpful sites, although more research on your own also should be done: Tuition varies based upon course selection (type of program), location (on-site or distance-learning) and the number of courses studied each semester.

There are various forms of financial aid and other services available, some of which are shown as follow:
Scholarships
Awards
Federal Student Aid
Government student loans
Bursaries

For more information on the different forms of financial aid available at St. Petersburg College, you can look at the college’s official website or contact the friendly and helpful finance officers at the Finance Office for an appointment today. There is a lot of information available on other sites.

Why you should study at St. Petersburg College and my own personal recommendations

I personally found the St. Petersburg College e-Campus awesome as it enables one great flexibility, to study and do work anywhere in the state or out of the country. It is a well-established and well-recognised college with a good track record that boosts many top awards, and has no known controversies. In addition, some of their university programs, such as those under the Associate of Arts, can be completed right from the comfort of your room, or anywhere you are in the world. This is indeed the essence to a global online education! With such an excellent award-winning e-Campus program that offers hundreds of accredited online college courses in dozens of majors, as well as online student support services at your fingertips, St. Petersburg College could be the one that you are searching for!

Thanks for reading and I hope that you will be able to find your dream course, here at St. Petersburg College, with its wonderful e-Campus. Cheers!

Get your university degree online - degree reviews and university reviews

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Simon Fraser University (SFU) - university and degrees review

Simon Fraser University (SFU) - university and degrees review

A brief look at the university – Simon Fraser University review and evaluation

Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public Canadian university in British Columbia with three campuses, each located in different parts. The main campus is located on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and the other two satellite campuses are found in Vancouver’s Downtown at Harbour Centre and Surrey. In recent years, the downtown campus has expanded to include several other buildings, including the Segal Graduate School of Business, now known officially as SFU Vancouver. Ranked by respected national surveys, such as the 2009 Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, as one of Canada’s top three comprehensive universities for many years, Simon Fraser University is named after Simon Fraser, a famous explorer and North West Company fur trader, who was known for his pioneering spirit.

Simon Fraser University was established in 1965 and presently has more than 32,000 students and 900 faculty members. Simon Fraser University has eight faculties in total and offers more than 100 undergraduate major and joint major programs, as well as 45 graduate programs. Students are mentored by faculty acclaimed for their research and teaching abilities and coached by dedicated advisors and employers in the integrated learning program. In addition, Simon Fraser University graduates enjoy a diverse range of internship opportunities and limitless career choices.

Which university courses are offered here at Simon Fraser University?

Simon Fraser University helps new, returning, graduate, distance education and mature students to fulfill their academic goals and potential by combining vast academic choices and co-op options and in turn, these help them to shape their future and add value to the world.

An example of this would be that students are able to obtain two degrees from different institutions at home and abroad through the dual and double degree programs. Exchange programs and field schools also encourage international and domestic students to share and experience others’ perspectives and worlds. Night and weekend programs enable full-time workers with families to achieve higher education.

Simon Fraser University is organized neatly into eight different faculties:

Faculty of Applied Sciences
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Faculty of Business Administration
Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Environment
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Science Radiology

Here at Simon Fraser University, they believe in equipping students with the relevant skills to tackle and solve real-life pressing problems. As such, SFU also offers innovative interdisciplinary degree programs such as the Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics and Master of Science in Population and Public, which are rare in other universities.

You will be pleased to note that distance education is made possible, here at Simon Fraser University. The Centre for Online and Distance Education (CODE) at SFU caters to students’ schedule and flexibility can be enjoyed while achieving your academic goals. As such, study could not have been made more accessible. University credits can be earned while meeting your other needs and obligations, be it full-time work, family or sports. SFU has one of Canada's largest distance education centres, with approximately 100 courses offered in a number of academic areas for each term. Courses emphasize twenty-first century technologies and skills, and most importantly, they are credited towards the internationally recognized and respected Simon Fraser University degrees, certificates, and post-baccalaureate diplomas. Of course, more research can be done if you are interested in an education with Simon Fraser University and more details on the array of available courses, both on-campus and online, can be found on the university webpage.

Finance and other important matters

All these valuable information were gleaned from Wikipedia, the college website, and also other helpful sources:Tuition varies based upon course selection, location and the number of courses studied each quarter.

There are various forms of financial aid and other services available, some of which are:
Scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students
Awards for graduate and undergraduate students
Government student loans and grants
Bursaries
Emergency loans

For more information on the different forms of financial aid available at Simon Fraser University, you can look at the university’s official website or contact the officers at the Finance Office.

Why you should study at Simon Fraser University and my own personal recommendations

Here at Simon Fraser University, they believe in helping students to chart their own unique course and destiny through numerous interdisciplinary academic programs and other interesting and enriching student activities. In addition, the wide and diverse range of undergraduate degrees and graduate programs in the university appeals to me. Simon Fraser University takes the welfare of students into consideration, providing flexibility in learning with an established distance learning education put in place. The university advocates academic excellence, promotes learning for all and respects diversity. Of course, the question is whether the course you want is offered at Simon Fraser University, be it in the real or virtual campus. Overall, I would recommend this university as you will be able to learn at your own pace and you will be spoilt for choice regarding the academic programs and student activities. Overall, this could be the university that you are looking for; with its diverse range, it could be the university education you want to help you leap towards academic excellence.

Thanks for reading and I hope that you will be able to find your dream university education at Simon Fraser University, be it on-campus or distance learning. Cheers!

Get your university degree online - degree reviews and university reviews
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