After finding out that part of the course involved video conferencing last night I was a little downcast as I didn't want to have another obstacle in my way for my work, but I have been assured that it is not necessary for the course to undertake these. At the moment I am not going to partake in them. Perhaps later I may do.
Day two on the course and I am still not sure how one of the programme works so I am going to have a go later with the more technical other half!
I have been thinking about the course a lot though and keep thinking about how my student will feel about having a course taught on line. I teach banking law and I want it to be as dynamic and academic as if I were in front of them. So I have many concerns such as; can it be as interactive as normal seminars and workshops? Can it be engaging for all the students? What will be there main criticism and how can I circumvent it. How can I make it enjoyable for them.
Yesterday I really enjoyed the mini quiz and I think that is going to have to be part of the main element of the course. Perhaps after each section of the course, to test comprehension the students can have a mini pop quiz on the topic. I also think that it is important to have a point of access accessible when the students are on-line. The internet is such an immediate media that we are know used to getting instance answers. I think if the students had to wait a while they may lose interest. Therefore I will need to have specific times and dates to be on-line for them. The disadvantage of this is to become obsessed with being on-line and not knowing when to stop! Students work at odd and often unsociable times so I must make sure I am not being a slave to them for fear of being criticised that I was not on-line at 2am on a Saturday morning. Exceptions on both parties must be real and I think must be set out in the first instance.
Other things I want to think about over the course:
How to put up lecture materials to make them understandable? - I normally use ppt and lecture handouts, I was thinking perhaps a pod cast to go along side the lecture materials?
How to post reading materials? - is a list sufficient - I would have to put instructions up as to when I needed them read by.
How to engage in seminars on line?
How to make me (the vocal teacher) come across on-line? This is really important to me as I liked to engage the students and read them as to how best to teach them - will this be lost in the virtual ether.
I have mentioned this course to past students of mine whom I keep in contact with and they have been very positive towards it. One said teaching is the same in what ever medium. They are very supportive of my change in teaching and understand why I am doing it. I did think I should give it up as I never thought I could do anything without the voice, but a past student e-mailed and said I changed their life by just believing in them. I don't want to lose that and I want to believe in them. But the internet is so impersonal. How do I make it personal?
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