24.7: Making Changes for the Future

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Once you have the summative feedback, you can let it sit for a while, or immediately begin revising the online course for the next iteration. Changes might include being more flexible in the teaching approach, having a better attitude towards students and their ideas, using more appropriate assessment methods, adding more real-world applications, and so on. Since the new students most likely did not see the previous version of the course, you are free to do anything, from making minor changes here and there to completely starting over. Usually it is somewhere between the two.

In one personal example, using the Moodle Glossary tool, I will revise the short-term vocabulary list solution, described above, to be a communal glossary assignment. Each week I will ask the students to generate glossary terms that they do not understand from my lectures and from the readings. If multiple people add the same term, then I will know it is a concept that requires more attention. Other LMS solutions, like WebCT, have a Glossary tool as well.

Most importantly, do try again. Regardless of how you feel about your first attempt at online teaching, it will get better each time you try. Online course offerings provide students with more flexibility. Hybrid, or blended learning, courses can combine the best of both worlds. Online environments that supplement fully face-to-face instruction can help students to stay on task, to plan ahead, to access resources at any time of day, and more. In all three types of online learning, the pros outweigh the cons. Most students will appreciate your efforts, which is a good thing to remember if you ever question why you are teaching online in the first place.