Considerations for online teaching

Before planning your course, there are a number of factors which need to be taken into account.

The technical skills necessary for participating in an online course MUST be mastered before purposeful instruction can take place. If students are frustrated with equipment problems, access problems, navigating the system, unreliable access to course information, or don't understand the expected behavior or class format, then that student is likely to drop or fail your course.

Technophobia is a common problem with online instruction for those new to using computers. It's directly related to information overload caused by trying to learn many new technical concepts at once.

The emotional support of knowing you can ask questions and receive friendly assistance is fundamental to any successful online course. This type of interaction has profound social meaning which should not be underestimated. The High Tech - High Touch principle is very much at work here; "For every high tech implementation, there MUST be a corresponding high touch component, or the technology WILL BE REJECTED!" Naisbett

You should know exactly what hardware/software and Internet access methods your students will be using. It is an excellent idea to voice chat with your students before beginning the online class. This will give them confidence in you and will usually provide you with a much clearer idea of their situations, personalities, and special interests.

Online students tend to be either very excited and positive about taking an online course or very tentative and easily frustrated.

A crucial thing to "listen for" during the first weeks of an online course is who will need extra attention. Student performance and attitudes typically vary widely depending on their comfort with the use of computers as a communications tool.

Never assume your students have the required prerequisite skills. Always plan to have them demonstrate these skills in one of the first few lessons. You can never overestimate the potential for technical problems hampering all students in an online class getting started on time.

An initial component of any successful online class taught in a group learning format is to establish a sense of class community. This is best done with a face-to-face meeting, a conference call, or by sharing autobiographies and instigating informal sharing, online.