1: Provide Extra Detail in Your Online Syllabus Most of us spend much of the first day of class going through the syllabus, taking time to elaborate on different points, and answering questions as we go along. Online classrooms lack this time, and so the syllabus must be more detailed.
2: Design for the Web The online environment is fundamentally visual, built on videos, interaction, and exploration. All effective communication requires an understanding of the rules of that environment. Don’t view the online environment through the paradigm of the face-to-face environment. Use the 35 company videos Jay and I have developed to match the chapters in the text. Insert the Virtual Office Hours we have created for the 80 Solved Problems as well.
3: If Someone Can Say it Better Than You, Then Let Them Faculty often think they must develop every piece of content from scratch, but nearly all of the information in their head is available somewhere else. Use the web to your advantage by curating, rather than creating, content whenever possible.
4: Use a Consistent Format Create a template of what you will want from students in each module and follow it. It might be that your modules start with a video overview of the material, links to various content, three discussion questions, etc.
5: Remember the Workload Parameters Faculty commonly assign too much content in an online class. If you assign too much, students will only view part of it, and the part they choose may not be what you think is most important. Better to define a workload range and stay within it. MyOMLab can certainly help with this.
6: It Takes Longer Than You Think Most faculty underestimate how long it will take to develop online content. So try to develop your content during the semester prior to the course going live.