Our award-winning online faculty and instructional designers have compiled this quick guide to help you get started in digital learning. Explore topics ranging from how to design a course to digital literary, among other important skills.
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There are several important skills that can help you create a successful online course.
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The first is a fundamental knowledge of Instructional Design.
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Effective instructional design is important for teaching no matter the modality of the course,
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but it’s especially important to recognize how designing an online course
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may differ from delivering the same content in a face-to-face course.
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Another important skill is knowing how to motivate and inspire communication and collaboration among
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your students. A successful online course depends a great deal on getting your students to feel
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comfortable enough to communicate, engage in discussions, and collaborate with each other.
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Online courses require different time management skills for meeting with students than face to face
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courses. Setting parameters for your availability is crucial so that you can be present for your
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students as well as protect your personal time. Be clear when students can expect to speak to
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you synchronously or receive a response asynchronously to avoid any confusion.
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Having strong organizational skills can make it easier for your students to navigate
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and get the most out of your online course. A well-organized course will
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also help you monitor your students’ progress. Strong communication skills are essential for
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online courses. Building trust and a good rapport with your students requires clear
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writing and a good sense of how communicating online is different than talking face-to-face.
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While you don’t need to be an IT expert in order to teach online,
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it’s important to have a certain level of digital literacy. Teaching online requires
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the technical skills to build content for your course, upload and download files,
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incorporate available internet resources, monitor student progress, and communicate online.
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You may also need to help students troubleshoot any issues they may have
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or direct them to find the help they need. Strengthening these skills will help you to
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create a positive online culture that both you and students will appreciate. When teaching online,
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the more skills you have available to use, the more successful your course will be.
Online Degrees
With more than 20 years of innovation in educational technology, Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ Online has high-quality distance learning options for both traditional and nontraditional students. Our fully online offerings include online bachelor’s degrees, online master’s degrees, online certificates and online doctoral degrees.
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