Susan Ko / Steve Rossen
- Paperback: 472 pages
- Publisher: Routledge; 3 edition (March 12, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0415997267
- ISBN-13: 978-0415997263
I first encountered this book in 2004 when I took my first teaching online course.
Why I would recommend it for a teaching with technology course is that it goes through some common but oft forgotten sensible issues that I feel applies to not only teaching in an online environment but also using technological tools.
Presentation, dynamics, compatibility, instructions for use - the "oh yea" things that we have been trained to do or have learned to do through experience.
On top of it- the book is an easy read, not just that it's rather short but the tone, language and pacing means you can skim through items you know and then read for content the things that you need to pay attention to.
The one section that I don't care for is the Group Forming section- this is a personal bias after having taught online for a while. My suggestion for online group forming in this - group students who have the same grades together. This is especially important in online classes- I know there are teachers who swear by the "The A student will help the D student succeed". No.
The D student will frustrate the crap out of the A student and the A student will do all the work.
In online environments- your A students will be apparent by week 2 or 3, they are the ones to post early and often in the chat room and post assignments early as well. Putting them together in a group means they will communicate and get the work done easily. The D students will expect to be in a mixed group, wait until the last minute to communicate with anyone and the whole group will freak out on each other.
This is not a guess- I have taught over 40 online classes and divided group work this was for 35 of them- it works well.
Otherwise this book is practical, like the name says. It walks through ideas, concepts, transferring f2f material into the online environment, how to communicate.
Really basic ideas for teaching in general.
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