Online Considerations and Examples

Resources and Ideas for Starting the Asynchronous Online Section

To help set up your asynchronous online section, consider the following ideas:

• Use discussion forums for weekly interaction.
  Create discussion prompts each week to encourage ongoing peer engagement.
• Launch a start-of-semester survey.
  Learn more about your learners' backgrounds, interests, and goals related to your course or field.
• Set clear expectations and provide examples for online engagement.
  Show learners what meaningful participation looks like in online discussions.
• Make recordings interactive.
  Use tools like PlayPosit or embed reflection and knowledge-check questions into video lectures.
• Keep recordings brief.
  Chunk longer content into shorter, focused videos.
• Organize small groups for peer teaching.
  During content-heavy weeks, set up jigsaw activities where learners present key ideas to their peers via discussion forums.
• Encourage real-world applications and student choice.
  Design activities that help learners connect course concepts to their personal goals and interests.
• Identify necessary scaffolding for online learners.
  Think about what supports online students may need to experiment, explore, and engage hands-on.

Tips for Recorded Lectures

When planning recorded lectures, ask yourself:

• How much content are students expected to watch each week?
  Ensure that videos build logically upon one another and leave time for digestion through notetaking, reflection, or other activities.
• Make recordings interactive and brief.
  Use play posit or embedded questions and chunk content for better engagement.
• Incorporate collaborative learning.
  Use small groups and jigsaw activities to enhance peer learning and deeper engagement.

Canvas Organization

Organize your Canvas course thoughtfully to support student navigation and engagement:

• 

  Create a welcoming homepage.
  Include quick links to the syllabus and modules, an overview of the course, instructor information, and brief course objectives.

• Begin with a Welcome Module.
  • Post a short welcome video (under 10 minutes).
  • Upload the syllabus and other key resources like grading rubrics.
  • Launch a community guidelines discussion forum to co-create class norms, with a follow-up announcement summarizing the final list.
• Provide weekly overview pages.
  Each week, offer:
  • A brief paragraph introducing the week’s topics.
  • A checklist of readings, videos, and assignments.
  • A reminder of upcoming deadlines.
• Use visual cues for better navigation.
  Indent assignments and links within modules for clarity.
• Utilize announcements effectively.
  Send weekly updates to recap content, clarify complex concepts, and remind learners about important deadlines.
• Refer to the Canvas Evaluation Checklist.
  Start with one-star items, then work through two-star and three-star items for continuous improvement.

You can find information related to Canvas organization and Canvas templates on the OIT page. You might consider reaching out to OIT to find out more information related to technological features that can be used within Canvas.

Course Overview Example

Welcome to Week 1 (insert dates)

Brief paragraph/overview of topic(s)/key concepts and or learning objectives for the week.

For this Week, you should complete the following activities:

Review the following documents:

• Review the syllabus and course schedule
• Review the Course Ground Rules
• Read all contents under week 1 module and familiarize yourself with …
• Review …

(example only)***Please note, you will be required to read quite a bit throughout the semester both for preparation for face to face class meetings and for online discussions during the week. I suggest reviewing the readings and assignments and creating a schedule to budget ample time to be prepared for in-class/online discussions, etc.

Read:

Watch:

Assignments:

Looking Ahead: 

Creating Community Guidelines Example (Week 1 Discussion)

Kick off the semester with a community-building discussion:

Welcome to [Course Title]!
In addition to the syllabus expectations, let’s co-create our community guidelines. Please contribute ideas for creating a respectful, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.

Example Guidelines:

• All voices are to be heard and respected
• There is respect for personal space and individual member comfort in physical space
• Each person is valued for their individuality
• Grace is extended to each person
• Support is given to everyone
• We avoid generalizing and/or using "catch-all" categorizing of racial/ethnic groups

Discussion Board (Example of Expectations)

Other Online Engagement Activities:

For additional ideas visit the Toolkit for Inclusive Online Teaching, Patricia Cross Academy or Iowa State University’s 226 active learning techniques.  

Examples of Alternative Ways to Demonstrate Learning:

5 Entry Points

This approach allows a range of learners to connect to topics in a variety of ways. As the instructor of your course, think of a topic and 5 doors to enter understanding that topic on a deeper level. For example, let’s use photosynthesis as an example:

1. Narrational Entry Point: Present a story or narrative account about the concept in question. Example-Describe with appropriate vocabulary the process of photosynthesis as it occurs using several plants or relevant to the local community.
    
2. Logical-Quantitative Entry Point: Approaches the concept by invoking numerical considerations or deductive/inductive reasoning processes. Example-Create a timeline of the steps of photosynthesis and a clinical analysis of the process.
    
3. Foundational Entry Point: Explores the philosophical facets of a concept. Example-related to photosynthesis, one might examine a transformative experience of oneself or a relevant individual/institution and compare it to the process of photosynthesis assigning parallel sides as they see fit (e.g., source of energy, etc.)
    
4. Aesthetic Entry Point: Emphasis on sensory or surface features that appeals to learners who favor an artistic approach. Example-Learner could look for visuals, musical, or literary transformations that imitate or parallel philosophies; learners then represent these in an artistic format such as a video, cartooning, dance, etc.)
    
5. Experiential Approach: Dealing directly with the materials that embody or convey the concept. Example-Learners might carry out a series of experiments involving photosynthesis (remember to include reflection and conceptualization as part of the process). 

*Reference: Ginsberg. M. B. & Wlodkowski, R. J. (2009). Diversity & motivation. Jossey-Bass.

Journal: (adjust wording as needed for your course)

Maintain a journal throughout the semester in which you thoughtfully reflect, in writing, on the principles, theories, concepts, and strategies of adult learning methods and processes. Many scholars see a journal, or log, as a way to track the reasons for decisions throughout a study or design process. Jot down ideas as they come up, as well as a place for personal expression of frustrations, successes, and insights related to the work.

As you engage in readings, discussions, and projects in this course, the journal can serve as a site for integrating these activities and facilitating your understanding of course content and its application to practice. In addition to the journal as an independent assignment, by writing in your journal on a regular basis, you will accrue material (reflections, insights) that are valuable for your own self-evaluation of your learning during this course and your final capstone for those in the ___ program.

The key to success in this course is critical thinking, and analysis and synthesis. Writing is thinking on paper. So, your journal is a place for you to practice thinking and reflecting on the course content as it relates to you. More of a personal reflection rather than a social reflection like the discussion board is. I will be looking for evidence of this critical thinking, and analysis and synthesis, and a demonstration of your engagement with course materials throughout the semester. I will occasionally give you writing prompts but, in general, you will decide when and what to write in your journal.

You may keep either an electronic journal or a paper/bound journal. No one will see it; except those you wish to see it. It is not necessary that your instructor see it. The choice is yours. Just be sure to complete two to three thoughtful entries per week, plus entries from class and whatever supplementary entries you choose to add, could be considered sufficient “volume.” 

There is no quick answer regarding the length of entries. A very clear and insightful, but short, entry is likely more valuable than a tedious or superficial one, but sometimes you might need to ramble to sort out your thoughts or go into depth to fully explore an issue or idea. It could even be stream of conscious writing, not coherent just rambling.  The point is to get something down weekly. 

Meta-Reflection Paper:

The meta-reflection paper results from your rereading, reviewing, and reflecting on what you have written in your journal as a synthesis of your journal into themes and/or a focus on a small number of entries that you select that stand out. You may address each entry separately or use the entries as evidence for a broader reflective synthesis perspective. Do not simply summarize your entries, it needs to be a synthesis of your journal; while it should be comprehensive of your learning, it should also be succinctly written. Questions to consider for your meta-reflection, based on your selected entries:

• Reflections on the entries:
  • Because this entry caught my attention, what does that tell me about myself now?
  • How does this entry help me to understand and integrate the course goals into my work?
  • Looking back on this entry, how has my thinking changed since I wrote it?
  • What next steps or future ideas might come from reflecting on these entries and their implications?
  • What are the overarching themes of the journal to date?
  • What connections can you make among your entries?
  • Are there recurrent ideas or trends that you notice?

Grading Criteria:

• Meta-reflection paper includes evidence of critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, and a demonstration of your engagement with course materials/key concepts throughout the semester
• Assignment should include major ideas or themes from this course and semester (e.g., what were your key takeaways and how will you apply these takeaways in the future?)
• Assignment, if a written paper, is approximately 3-5 pages in length ( will discuss other options instead of written paper on individual basis( e.g., recordings, videos, illustrations, etc.)
• APA formatting and citations properly used