This document discusses strategies for creating engaging online courses through stimulating discussions, structuring topics well, and putting students into groups. It emphasizes the importance of engagement and providing avenues for higher-order thinking. Specific tips are provided, such as using icebreakers to build trust, giving students topic choices, assigning experts to add insight, and putting students into groups to feel more connected. Grading rubrics and both "parallel play" and "real" group projects are explored as ways to enhance learning. The goal is to provide conditions where students can learn through creative and fun activities.
18. STRUCTURING A TOPIC
Write Enough
Make your
expectations clear
Add video or links
What is it worth?
Don’t Assume they can read your mind.
19. CREATING A TOPIC
Make the topics
interesting
Don’t create topics with
specific text answers
Be Creative
Require Student Evaluation
Require Student Judgment
20. EVALUATIVE TOPIC
“Look back at Chapter 1 and pick three
types of punishments that we no longer
use, and describe them.”
Administration of Justice Course
Introduction to Corrections
“Look back at Chapter 1 and pick
one of the types of punishments
that we no longer use, and explain
why you believe we should bring it
back.”
75. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
Too many in class for
one discussion group
Tough to come up
with original answer as
42nd student
Can make a unique
contribution in
smaller group
77. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
How many do you
put in a group?
First a couple of questions
A regular discussion 20
A student project 10-12
78. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
First a couple of questions
How do you select
members of a group?
Mix up high achievers with low?
Keep high achievers together?
Have students self select?
79. PUTTING STUDENTS IN
GROUPS
First a couple of questions
Assigning will save time
Assigning will save frustration
Can rotate assignments
Do you assign group
responsibilities?
84. USING GROUP ASSESSMENTS
“Parallel Play” Group Projects
Group projects where members in the
group are not dependent on each other
to complete the task
They can help and inspire each other but their
grade is not dependent on other group
members
90. USING GROUP ASSESSMENTS
“Real” Group Projects
Group projects where people in the
group are dependent on each other to
complete the task
Members divide duties and responsibilities and
work together to complete the task
91. USING GROUP ASSESSMENTS
“Real” Group Projects
Group Class Project:
Grading Points
Work together on a task
80 evaluation of the group process
20 evaluation of the final product
10 “bonus” participation from each other
95. We should not be about creating
educational content.
We should be be about creating
educational experiences.
96. ““I never teach myI never teach my
pupils. I only attempt topupils. I only attempt to
provide the conditions inprovide the conditions in
which they can learn.which they can learn.””
--Albert Einstein