Prepare Your Fully Online Course ~ Week 1
Over the next four weeks, the Center for Teaching and Learning will help you to take some “bite-sized” steps toward transitioning your course online. In addition to our online resources, there are several opportunities to get more support, including one-on-one conversations with CTL consultants, synchronous workshops, and asynchronous opportunities to engage with your colleagues at Baruch.
Please note that this is a suggested timeline, and an example for your reference.
(Re)define your learning goals.
What are the major topics, themes, or skills that you want students to understand or develop through this course? Consider framing your learning goals in terms of how students will apply or demonstrate what they have learned: “By the end of the semester, students should be able to (summarize / analyze / identify / distinguish)…” Consider how you will measure (assess) each of these objectives. Read more about designing strong learning goals (this link will open a PDF document in a new tab).
(Re)design one major “unit”.
Outline one “unit” that aligns with your learning goals, thinking backwards (or “reverse engineering”) from one major higher-stakes assessment (assignment / test / project) to lower-stakes deliverables that build students’ skills up to (or “scaffold”) that culmination. Begin thinking about how students will submit assignments (i.e. through which online platform). Not sure how to get started converting your in-person materials—like class goals, activities, and assignments—to an online format? This slide deck includes helpful charts for a step-by-step conversion process, created by CTL director Allison Lehr Samuels.
(Re)flect upon classroom community and synchronous vs. asynchronous options.
Think about your unit 1 structure. Does it help you get a feel for the type of classroom community you’re setting up? How will you encourage meaningful engagement with your course and between students? In Week 3 of the guide, you’ll learn more about how to create a classroom community in an online environment. For now, think about how much of your course needs to meet synchronously (i.e. students and the professor meet and interact at the same time) or asynchronously (i.e. the professor prepares materials ahead of time, and students access them at their convenience) by reading the Center for Teaching and Learning’s recommendations about synchronous and asynchronous teaching here.
Let’s Cook Together! CTL Support for Week 1 Prep:
Anytime: Check out our CTL Events page for any ongoing programming that you may find helpful as you continue to build your online course.
Monday-Friday, 9am – 5pm: Click here to schedule a one-on-one synchronous online appointment with a CTL consultant. If this is your first time to make an appointment, learn how to join the one-on-one session (this link will open a PDF document in a separate tab) after you have scheduled it.
More to chew on, if you want it:
Some ideas on building online classroom community from Inside Higher Ed.
Read more about “low-” and “high-stakes” feedback (this link will open a PDF document in a separate tab).
Read more about assessment design in the online learning environment.
Good job on week 1! Check out prep recommendations for weeks 2, 3, and 4.
Image credits: ‘Cooking’ icons toolkit from goodstuffnononsense.com