| 1. |
Include
a student session at the commencement to orientate the students
to the course and how to use the technologies
The most crucial aspect of any educational technology component
is that the students use it. It is important for students to
feel comfortable using the technology and know where, how, and
what is being asked of them.
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| 2. |
Holistically
integrate applications of technology into the course
Components of a course that are to be delivered in a flexible
mode must be integrated into the overall aims, objectives, pedagogy
and practices of the course.
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| 3. |
Actively
use the technology yourself during the running course
Students are unlikely to perceive that there is any value in
using the materials, particularly online discussions, if the
lecturer is not seen to be using them.
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| 4. |
Base
the application of technologies on pedagogical strategies
It is not appropriate to use technology for its own sake. Thoughtful
instructional design will ensue that the use of technology is
aligned with and will enhance the aims, outcomes, and teaching
methods of the course.
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| 5. |
Use
asynchronous discussion forums to provide avenues foe students
to discuss issues and get answers to problems they encounter
This helps students who prefer to reflect on their responses
before making them.
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| 6. |
Use
synchronous discussion to provide specific meeting times
Staff can be available for direct responses to student issues
in a ‘live-chat’ mode.
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| 7. |
Moderate
online discussions
Online discussions can take off on all kinds of tangents that
are likely to distract students from thinking about the main
topic. By logging into the asynchronous discussion regularly,
the teacher can bring the discussion back to the main issue
by introducing some new ideas or points to consider. Make it
clear that any sexist, aggressive or otherwise offensive comments
are unacceptable. Critical comments are OK provided they address
the issue, not the person.
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| 8. |
Use
collaborative group tasks to help build communication, negotiation
and teamwork skills
Case studies in which students need to research and analyse
a complex issue and propose a resolution are often the best
tasks for collaborative learning. Suitable tasks are those that
are open to interpretation in preference to exercises with a
clear path leading to a specific solution.
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| 9. |
Establish
effective group sizes
Groups of 4-5 work best for collaborative tasks. It is sometimes
best to assign students to groups rather than leaving it up
to a self-selection process to ensure a variety of skill levels
and interests within a group.
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| 10. |
Assessment
needs to be considered carefully for group projects
To encourage
all students to contribute to the task, the group can be asked
to attribute the relative grading within the group. This requires
the students to reflect upon their own relative performance.
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| 11. |
Create
a range of resources to support active learning
Interviews, databases, interactive tutorials, spreadsheets,
discussion forums are valuable resources to support active learning
techniques. The Integrated
Virtual Learning Environment (IVLE) can be used to
provide password-protected access to resources that are developed
for a particular course.
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| 12. |
Use
online technologies to provide rapid feedback
Create discussion areas for student questions. This creates
a record of questions and answers that other students can see,
thus providing rapid answers to questions without having you
to answer that same question many times to many students. Ensure
that you answer direct questions promptly. Responses may also
come from other students, which extends the scope of the feedback.
Encourage submission and return of assignments electronically
to speed up feedback. IVLE has functions to support electronic
assignment submission.
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| 13. |
Use
quizzes to help students learn
Quizzes can be used to enable students to check their understanding
and memory of components of the course before moving on. Questions
designed to reveal common misconceptions can be used to direct
students back to course materials with an indication of what
they may have misunderstood.
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| 14. |
Provide
electronic access to resources
Place readings in MyCourse
and encourage students to search the library catalogue and to
use full-text retrieval of articles. Instant access to resources
both speeds up and intensifies searches foe relevant information,
enabling the student to maintain focus on the task.
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| 15. |
Evaluate
the online materials
As these materials are developed to meet specific pedagogical
goals, it is important to obtain student feedback to ensure
that the goals are being met, and that the areas for continuous
improvements are identified.
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