Academy Instructors	Lesson 1: Readings (2)	-

Teaching On-Line Courses

Edward L. Meyen, Cindy H.T. Lian, and Paul Tangen
The University of Kansas

First appeared: (Fall 1997) Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 12 (3), 166-174.

Abstract by Steve Colson

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The creation of the internet afforded students and teachers with another delivery system previously unavailable. This article focuses on the development and teaching of online courses using the internet and the world wide web. The authors discuss the perspectives of the student, the instructor, and the institution concerning online teaching, include details about preparing an online course and offer multiple strategies for teaching and evaluation.

The student, the instructor, and the institutional perspectives are equally important to consider in learning about teaching online. The student gains flexibility and access when online instruction becomes available although many students may still prefer traditional instruction delivery. Features of online instruction offer the same types of accommodations typically granted to students with disabilities. The instructor's perspective comes from those already planning and delivering instruction in this format. These instructors spend considerable time putting content into this new format in ways that are effective for the learner. Instructors, too, see the individualization possibilities of this format similar to ones they create for students with disabilities. The institutional perspective comes from sometimes competing missions--to serve a broader market of students while also considering whether adequate funds are or should be available for this type of instructional development.

Preparation is essential in any teaching but becomes critical in talking about online instruction. Developing online instruction is a combination of both the teaching process and the responsiveness of the instructor while the course is being taught. The authors list examples of features that can be incorporated in online instruction cautioning that the time it takes to develop each feature and the time it takes to manage the feature during the teaching process must be considered. Trade-offs naturally are inherent in this planning and evaluating process.

Preparation also entails understanding distance education/online instruction as well as the selection of technology. Teachers must know a considerable amount about their online students during the preparation and evaluation stages. Time must be spent setting the stage, establishing rules and creating expectations.

The authors devote considerable space to teaching strategies, including finding a message process right for the teacher and learners, creating variability in responding to activities, issues related to time management, and building collaborative teams among students. They offer suggestions under each of these strategy headings and conclude with a discussion of evaluation strategies designed to assess the students' learning as well as the effectiveness of the course design.

They conclude by reminding teachers that online instruction remains a growing movement. There is still much to learn about this new and exciting way of delivering instruction. This article reminds beginners to this method of teaching about the importance of both planning, delivery of content and evaluation.