Vertoria Lagroon Module 2 - Effective Online Teaching Key Principles to Consider in Online Education 1.

Effective online instruction should provide prompt and detailed feedback...

It is important that online instructors provide prompt and detailed feedback to all of their online learners for every assignment. Feedback can be individual, which is suggested at the beginning of courses, or given to group as a whole. Feedback should provide both information for improvement and acknowledgement. Even when instructors are busy, they should send responses and feedback letting their students know that they will communicate with them at a later time and provide a reasonable time give proper feedback or assistance. If good, quality feedback is not given or comes very late after assignments, students may get the impression that their instructor is inaccessible. References
Chickering, A., & Gamson, Z. (1987). Seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, 39, 3-7. Graham, C., Cagiltay, K., Lim, B.-R., Craner, J., & Duffy, T. M. (2001, March). Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses.

2. Effective online instruction should emphasize time on task...

Unlike traditional classrooms, online learning environments do not provide students the luxury of having a teacher stand over them and consistently tell them to stay on task! However, good online instructors will facilitate time on task as much as possible by implementing deadlines for student work. Deadlines not only increase time on task, but provide structure for online learning environments and aid in preventing procrastination. References
Chickering, A., & Gamson, Z. (1987). Seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, 39, 3-7. Graham, C., Cagiltay, K., Lim, B.-R., Craner, J., & Duffy, T. M. (2001, March). Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses.

3. Effective online instruction develops reciprocity and cooperation among students...

Learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race. Good learning, like good work, is collaborative and social, not competitive and isolated. Working with others often increases involvement in learning. Sharing ones ideas and responding to others improves thinking and deepens understanding.

(Chickering, Arthur and Stephen C. Ehrmann, 1996) In order to incorporate meaningful

collaboration rather than shallow participation:

Learners should be required to participate (and their grade should depend on participation). Discussion groups should remain small. Discussions should be focused on a task. Tasks should always result in a product. Tasks should engage learners in the content. Learners should receive feedback on their discussions. Evaluation should be based on the quality of postings (and not the length or number). Instructors should post expectations for discussions.

(Graham, Cagiltay, Lim, Craner, & Duffy, 2001)

References
Chickering, Arthur and Stephen C. Ehrmann (1996), "Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever," AAHE Bulletin, October, pp. 3-6.

Graham, C., Cagiltay, K., Lim, B.-R., Craner, J., & Duffy, T. M. (2001, March). Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses.
4. Effective online instruction should respect diverse talents and ways of learning...

This principle completely aligns with Standard I of the National Standards of Quality Online Teaching, which states, The teacher develops and delivers assessments, projects, and assignments that meet standards-based learning goals and assesses learning progress by measuring student achievement of learning goals. However, beyond the scope of the standard, this principle suggests that online instructors provide students the opportunity to make decisions concerning their learning for themselves. Students should be able to decide on project topics with reasonable limits and also on the methods of delivery of which they will present various projects and assessments. This freedom of choice promotes diversity and students are given a more dominate role in determining how they will learn. References
Graham, C., Cagiltay, K., Lim, B.-R., Craner, J., & Duffy, T. M. (2001, March). Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses.