Student Voices: What Makes an Effective Online Course

Snapshot

Type of Interaction: Asynchronous

Type of Course: Hybrid, Flipped, Online

Decorative image

We asked a PhD student to describe their experience in their favorite online course.

How did the instructor’s methods of communication help you to succeed in this course? 

The instructor engaged in several methods of communication. First, a week or so before the start of class, she sent an email introducing the course and her expectations.  Her tone was enthusiastic, and she provided details about the course readings in case anyone wanted to get a jump on ordering the book and/or downloading the readings. Next, she communicated with us within the TRACS Forums.  This was very helpful because it made us aware that she was reading our forum contributions and she was on top of our progress as a class.  In addition, the instructor arranged for the class to meet face-to-face (one time only) during mid-semester.  This was a way for her to check in with us as a class and for us to provide her feedback about our online experience.  Overall, the instructor’s communication style was always supportive and was effective in keeping the momentum of the course on track.

Did the course include group work? Did you find this beneficial? Why or why not?

This course was specifically designed around group work.  Our class may be a bit unique in that we were a cohort of nine students; we had previously worked together in other courses and we already knew each other on some level.  But the group work became more of a reflective, as well as academic, exercise.  Throughout the course, we learned not only about the content, but we learned about each other on a deeper level as well, which I think all of us appreciated.

Tell me more about student-facilitated discussions.

The group work approach was effective because each group facilitated alternating weeks of topics, discussions, and activities.  The instructor gave us creative license to come up with 4-5 activities for our classmates during our designated week(s) of discussion.  As facilitators, we were required to post our activities by Tuesday at midnight. Our classmates would then engage in the forum from Wednesday morning to Saturday at 5pm.

What were the most helpful elements in how the course was structured?

The course was very well organized with clear expectations and instructions.  There was a tab within the LMS called “PLEASE START HERE”.  Before beginning the course, we were instructed to visit the contents of the tab which provided an opening presentation, information about the professor, the syllabus, and instructions to take a short quiz about the specifics about the syllabus.  This tab was important in that it helped set the tone for the course. In addition, there was a tab called “Weekly Required Activities and Assignments” that detailed the requirements for each week, for example, what articles to read, deadlines for assignments, etc. Lastly, within the Forums tab, there was a “Problem Solver” topic where students could post questions, issues, or problems about the course, the LMS, questions about specific assignments, and so on.

This seems like quite a forum-heavy course – what did you think of this approach?

Before taking this course, I had taken other asynchronous courses that were also heavy in forum activities.  I previously found forum discussions to be more surface-level, impersonal, and not so engaging.  I think the success of this course was because of the way the forum groups were broken down.  For example, each group consisted of three members and we knew ahead of time the readings and content we were responsible for.  We were given creative license to come up with activities that we thought our classmates would enjoy. We challenged ourselves to think outside of the box while also maintaining the academic integrity of the course content.

How did you go about managing your time in this online course?

Managing time for an online course is always a work in progress. I found that my early engagement in the forums was best so that there was time for students to respond not only to my posts, but for me to also respond to theirs.  Most important was that I completed the readings for each week before the opening of each weekly forum.  Students often underestimate how much time it takes to respond academically and critically in the forums; being organized and efficient is essential.

What is the most important thing for instructors designing online courses to keep in mind?

In an online course, consistent engagement with your students is essential.  It helps students to stay on track when they know you are “listening” to the forum discussions and you are also willing to contribute to the discussion from time to time.  Email is also a good way to keep the communication fresh.  Also, be consistent and clear with your expectations, allow for creativity, and help guide meaningful discussions among your students.  One last thing, online courses require a lot of time and effort and this is something students often underestimate.  If you notice a lull in participation, it may be a good time to check in with your students and get their feedback on the course and their progress.

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