DO's and DON'T's for DISTANCE EDUCATION

Dear Distance Education Colleagues:

Just finishing my first "mostly online" course (summer '03)..  Want to share insights with you.

DO -- Evolve from stand-up with online assignments to 'hybrid" to Online.

DO -- Promote access, communication.  Postcards, tel messages, faxes, email, web posting, telephone greeting-informational message, and Office Hours.  Work toward "High-Bandwidth Communication" -- more bits coming at the student, the better.  Many students need continuous attention, motivation, and monitoring.  Some -- endogenic and empowered --  a growing number --  do not.  Until they become majority, we have to 'lead'.

DO -- Be personal,  email greet them by Name, not a 'Dear Student' letter.  Anonymity leads to cut-off communication.

DO -- (rec.) Make students go Online every class day.  Presence in the Online Class is mandatory, even just for 'check-in' and messages.

DO -- Demand time-sensitive work.  There is more room to play around in cyberspace and get behind.  Exclude students for low performance, but allow re-instatement / re-enrollment.     Watch the kettle.

DO -- Demand interaction by email return receipts,  email and web posting responses.

DO -- Use as much Media as possible.  Emoticons, images, animated gifs, color, rich text, even video files from your cell phone or dig.  camera, widening the "channel of communications".

DO -- Go "Visual-Interactive-Virtual" in your lessons.  Pictures, charts, short answer responses, "clues", hyper-links for information.  From Linear to Exponential, Flat to Stereo.

DO -- Use "Peer Pressure" as an ally.  Show the quality work of a classmate (name blanked out).   Use it as a bar to be reached.   Use Peer Chat-rooms,  Help Forums.  Give students credit for helping each other by explaining how they did the assignment.  Post names and progress as incentive for students to 'keep up with the class'.

DO -- Build a Database of Names, SSN, email, address, phone, enroll. status. (rec. Excel).   Use the names in the email column followed by commas  as a "Mail All" list to be pasted in the 'bcc'  address area.  Since this contradicts greeting each student by name,  use sparingly.

DO -- Paste and Clip all over the place.   Write a letter,  address it individually, and Paste it to successive students whom you address.

DO -- Have an assignment for them to submit their email address (for your database).

DO -- Have them put the subject and their name in the Subject Line  of all email (CIS 701 - Quintero).

DO -- Work closely with Linda, continuing to refine the process.  "Etudes" is a successful ONLINE COURSE BUILDER developed at De Anza, CVC Region I, College. 

DO -- Study HTML, Javascript, FrontPage as building tools.  Create projects in WORD, EXCEL, PPT, etc, and learn to UPLOAD them  to website that you have admin. rights to.  Build an index on your website, upload and update assignments to it.  (rec. keep an 'upload' window open on your desktop.)

DO -- Investigate Microsoft's Virtual Classroom Tour, Distance Education Development and Management System.  <Tim Tisconis> timtis@microsoft.com

DO -- Talk with Dr. Miguel Moreno about using Online Simulations!

DO -- Overprepare your lessons.  Students are getting smarter exponentially,  Keep your standards high. Make them reach the bar.  Load it with "Critical Thinking".

DO -- Install Spam-Blocker software and high-end email services.  (rec:  Starfield Technologies).  Buy extra inbox storage.

DO -- Use a Cable (rec.) or DSL line at your home.  56K is for Text only.
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DON'T -- (Be aware of)  Students emailing you excuses.  Make story-tellers look you in the eye.
 

DON'T -- (recommended) -- get your inbox filled up with large attachments, which prevents subsequent receiving of email which damages course reliability.   Rx -- Students can print completed assignments,  then mail. fax,  or bring in a Notebook-Portfolio.
 

DON'T -- accept anything less than Presentation-Quality work.  Create models for them to reach up to.
 

DON'T -- slack off.  Every class day,  email them, post something on the web.  Be constant, consistent.
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Teachers of this decade will soon be rated by the number of bits of information that they create and post for learning!  The number of files, quizzes, lessons, samples, graphs, etc that you digitize and upload as learning materials will optimize your performance.

Students need to pass or test-out of  an "Intro to DISTANCE EDUCATION" course: How to work in an OnLine environment, computer, internet basics, tips, techniques, web research ... rec. as a prerequisite, 1-unit CIS course.

If I can help in any way, feel free to contact me thru campus email or at ProfA@auciello.net
 

Your colleague in the digital paradigm-Virtual Learning Community shift. 

Joseph Auciello,  Prof.  CIS.  Microsoft Innovative Teacher.  Instructor CIS 701 Intro and CIS 757 Web Design and Programming.    213.763.7268.  Prof. A. Out.