3 Lessons I learned from a Professional Development Course

This Summer I took a professional Development course offered by my college related to teaching online. In addition to the stated objectives for this course, there were 3 lessons I learned from that course that really impacted my own online teaching.

1. Communication
   • I was very excited about this course because I am always on the lookout for professional development opportunities related to teaching online. I had to apply to the program but never heard back about getting in. It was not until another colleague sent out an email asking about something related to the course that I realized I had been accepted into the program and that it had already started. I was very disappointed and confused. Despite this, I was able to log in to the course and catch-up.
   • Another point of communication that I was disappointed in was confusion related to assignments. It was never clear which assignments were due and when, nor was it clear which assignments were required and which were optional.
   • These 2 main frustrations helped to reinforce the importance of communication in an online course.
   • How this related to my online teaching practice:
     • Confusion about being admitted to the course could have been mitigated by the facilitators sending out a Welcome message a couple weeks before the beginning of the course and again a couple days before the first day of classes. This way I would have known that I was in the course and had time to become familiar with the course expectations
     • Secondly, creating an Agenda and Overview section in each Module that would describe the expectations of each Module and clearly outline the assignments I was responsible for would have helped me to understand what assignments were required of me.
2. Clarity
   • Another point that I was disappointed in was lack of clarity related to course assignments. The description of the assignments were so confusing that I found myself feeling very frustrated trying to understand them. On multiple occasions, I had to re-do an assignment because I realized I misunderstood it. There was, however, one silver lining. The facilitators included a sample of a completed assignment which was very helpful. Reviewing this sample helped me to realize that I had misunderstood the instructions and correct my assignment before submitting it.
   • How this related to my online teaching practice:
     • I realized more than ever how important it is to include an overview video description of each assignment. Taking the time to verbally explain an assignment can really go a long way in terms of clarity.
     • I don't typically include a sample assignment, however I have done it once or twice in the past and I think this can be a great idea, particularly for high-stakes assignments.
3. Curated resources
   
   • One aspect of this course that I really enjoyed was the additional curated resources that were included. In addition to the required readings, each Module included curated resources that offered a deeper dive into a particular topic. I thought this was excellent, particularly for the topics that I knew I was very interested in learning more about.
   • How this related to my online teaching practice:
     • This really reinforced my desire to explore additional Open Educational Resources related to my course content. I love the idea of sharing additional low-cost/no-cost resources that students can access if they are interested in a particular topic. I think it adds more depth to the course.

What are your thoughts on these 3 lessons? Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas in The Online Educator Facebook Group by clicking the link HERE. Also, as a treat don’t forget to GRAB YOUR FREE GUIDE to the 3 Secrets to Teaching Online Successfully.