Distance and eLearning : Instructional Objectives

Faculty currently teaching a fully online or Web-assisted course will find detailed information and current research regarding teaching online in the Faculty Resource Center located on your MYWEBCT page (where your courses are listed).

Student Direction -- Students just arriving in a course site need to have specific instructions on how to proceed in the course. To this end, course sites should contain:

• A text header instructing the students where to begin.
• An icon entitled "begin here", "before you begin", or "start here" that would include detailed information about the sequence of the course. Please note that this is not to replace your course syllabus, but merely to give the students initial direction.

Syllabus -- Students need to know how to plan for the semester and how they will be evaluated in their courses. We suggest that syllabi include the following:

• Faculty contact information
• Course Schedule
• Evaluation Policy
• Course Procedures
• Course Requirements
• Textbooks, CD-ROM's, Virtual Lab Kits, etc.

Standardize icons and appearance of Course site -- eLearning and Academic Support course sites are primarily a visual experience. Using a consistent visual appearance of icons that represent the function in the course (i.e. Discussion function = people talking; E-mail function = an envelope, etc.). Please contact our Design Team to learn of the many methods in designing learning content and interaction for eLearning and Academic Support courses.

Include Help Icon -- Include a Help Icon on your course which directs students to the help page on the www.dl.utoledo.edu website. You should encourage students to visit this page early in the course to ensure a trouble free experience in your course.

UT Guide to Learning Online -- The UT Guide to Learning Online is available to students before and throughout the semester. This guide provides practical information on successful online learning, study tips, and tools used. Students can refer back to this guide to view and practice major aspects of a WebCT course.

Teaching online is different!
It is important to remember that establishing common ground with your students, providing frequent and meaningful interaction and early planning are essential to a successful academic experience for all involved in the learning process. eLearning and Academic Support’s Design Team provides faculty with technical, instructional, and multimedia design, development, and support for eLearning and Academic Support courses at the University. It is our goal to allow you to focus on providing an engaging teaching experience by offering our services to you in an efficient and effective manner.

If you would like additional information or current research on teaching online, go to the Faculty Resource Center or call Mark Fink, Director for eLearning Faculty Support and Special Projects, at 419-530-8835.