Methods II: Online Teaching Tools and Techniques, Leo, Summer 2019

Note: Please register directly with The Northeast Online Teaching Institute (NEOTI). NEOTI will then give you the link to Castleton's online registration form.

Course Description

This course focuses on depth of knowledge through the application of skills, giving participants the tools to teach online effectively. Candidates learn ways to encourage academic integrity and explore tools to verify student work is authentic. Candidates explore and evaluate different ways to motivate online students, including through developing an online community using collaborative technology and real world application. Candidates explore and evaluate Web 2.0 Technology tools that can help deliver content that will be accessible to a variety of learning styles and special needs. Candidates learn about and practice with resources and tools that are available online to improve their practice, particularly standards based resources. Candidates practice with these tools by developing assessments to measure student learning. Candidates reflect on learning, explore examples, and practice skills to develop a depth of understanding of best practices in teaching online. 

Audience: All educators.

Course Goals

In this course the knowledge we gained in Methods I is put into practice. Participants will learn about many online tools and modify their own online class to incorporate best practices in creating a successful online classroom, in online assessments, and in making online classes accessible for all students.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to: 

• Use multiple methods for encouraging academic integrity and checking for academic integrity. 
• Personalize a Moodle course by adding, editing, and removing content. 
• Describe a variety of online tools and how they could be used, both for student enrichment as well as assessing with organization and teaching. 
• Use best practice to incorporate ways to improve student motivation and build online communities. 
• Modify and supplement instruction to improve access for all students, including those with special needs.

Course Expectation

Assignments: 

In order to successfully complete this course, participants must meet the following requirements: 

1. Discussion Postings. Participants are expected to participate in each module’s discussion forum by responding to the discussion prompt and responding to at least two other participants posts. At least one of the three posts should be during the first half of the module. 
2. Readings and Activities. Participants are expected to complete the readings and activities given in each of the modules. 
3. Course Change List. During Module Two, participants will brainstorm a list of possible changes and improvements that they could make to a VTVLC class and update it as necessary. 
4. Welcome Video. As part of Module Five, participants will create a video welcoming students to their class and showing them the key features of the online course. 
5. Motivational Strategy. Participants will implement one strategy from Module Six in their online course that will improve student motivation. 
6. Collaboration Strategy. Participants will utilize strategies from Module Seven to implement one method of improving student collaboration in their course. 
7. Accessibility Improvement. As part of Module Eight, participants will enhance one section of their course to improve accessibility to students with special needs. 
8. Assessment Improvement. In Module Nine, participants will create or modify one assessment to improve its ability to measure student learning and ensure academic integrity.

Projects:

Module 1: Academic Integrity 
In Module 1, participants will learn how to how to encourage academic integrity in the online environment by educating and utilizing stakeholders, knowing your students, and exploring tools that can help. 

Module 2: Exploring Your Online Course 
Participants will utilize this module to become familiar with the content of an appropriate course that they might teach from VTVLC’s catalog. Participants will find examples in their course of best practices in pedagogy, accessibility, and assessment. Participants will also create a list of possible changes or additions they could add to personalize and improve the course based on their Course Planning Guide from Methods I. 

Module 3: Web 2.0 Tools 
Participants will explore many of the online tools available, including blogs, social networking sites and wikis, as well as online audio and video tools such as Jing and Animoto. Participants will also review the available research on student use of Web 2.0 tools. Participants will evaluate tools for appropriateness based on student age and ability. 

Module 4: Teacher Tech Tools 
Participants will explore additional tools of the online world, reviewing technology tools for instructors, and free resources, particularly standards based resources. Participants will create and share templates for common interactions with students. 

Module 5: Personalizing Your Course 
Participants will use best practices in online teaching to personalize their online course. Participants will learn how to modify a Moodle course to add or edit elements. Class materials and procedures will be organized and posted to ensure that students have clear expectations and know to best ways to communicate with their instructor and fellow students. Participants will create a welcome video to introduce themselves to future students and guide students around the features of the course. 

Module 6: Student Motivation 
In this module, participants will explore motivational theories and strategies for students, as well as evaluate motivational techniques such as real world application. Participants will explore what motivational strategies are already incorporated into their course. Participants will consider ways to encourage interaction and participation in students and implement at least one method in their course. 

Module 7: Creating an Online Community 
This module focuses on helping to build an online community of learners in your class using a variety of tools, including creating book clubs and book talks, student clubs and activities, blogs, discussion groups, and utilizing social networks. Participants will learn methods to help encourage collaboration between students and implement at least one method in their course. 

Module 8: Helping Students Access Online Learning 
Participants will review their course materials, with an eye for places in which diverse populations may have trouble accessing materials. Participants will discuss the needs of diverse learners, as well as those with special needs, and brainstorm methods for helping them access online learning. Participants will enrich one portion of their class in a way that will make it more accessible to a particular population. 

Module 9: Modifying Assessments 
Module Eight focuses on modifying and implementing online assessments. Participants will review the assessments used in their online classes and discuss how they could be improved with an eye towards best practices and ensuring academic integrity. Participants will discuss how to modify or supplement instruction based on the results of assessment. Participants will modify or create one assessment in their course that will improve their ability to measure student learning. 

Module 10: Debrief 
Participants will brainstorm plans for dealing with common problems in online classes. Participants will reflect on their learning and share tips and tricks they have learned while modifying their class. Participants will update their Course Change List with any additional tasks that may be necessary before running their own class.

Evaluation: Participants are expected to complete all assignments with a grade of 80 or better. Each assignment has a rubric explaining what is required to earn a passing grade.

Grading: All assignments will be graded according to the assignment rubric.

Required Texts

Required Readings/Texts are not included in the course tuition.

Rice, Kerry. Making The Move to K-12 Online Teaching : Research-Based Strategies and Practices. Boston :Pearson, 2012. Print.

Other Suggested Readings/Texts: Online resources

For additional course information

Jessica Leo
(802) 885-8331

For additional registration information

Jennifer Fribush
(802) 885-8331

Register online now!