A lot of prospective online instructors write to me with frustration at how long it is taking to land that first job. There are many reasons – not having to do with the one’s ability, motivation, or qualifications – why it is so difficult to “break in”. I review these reasons in our newest 4-week, instructor-led course… Read more »
Search Results for: asynchronous discussion
Cultivating a Positive Online Learning Community: Building Student Connections
Social science tells us again and again that fostering a positive learning community is crucial for student success and engagement. As online instructors, our role extends beyond the transmission of knowledge to creating an environment where students feel connected, supported, and motivated. Below, we’ll explore effective strategies for cultivating a positive online learning community and… Read more »
Am I Qualified to Teach Online?
This is one of the most common questions members of our community ask: Am I qualified to teach online college courses? Obviously, there is no one size fits all answer to this question. So much depends on variables such as what discipline you teach in and the competitiveness within that area, whether you are looking… Read more »
CD501 – Foundations of Online Course Development: Course Description and FAQs
CD501: Foundations of Online Course Development is our 6-week certificate course covering today’s best practices in online course development. Upon completing CD501, you will have the knowledge and competencies needed to confidently create an online course – from the ground up, in any subject area. While CD501 does focus on higher education course development, the… Read more »
How Long is a Typical Online Course?
Think back to when you were enrolled in college. How long were your courses in terms of weeks and hours spent in the classroom? Chances are, if your college education was traditional—which is to say, typical—you likely enrolled in semesters. If that was the case, your classes probably took about 15 weeks to complete, and… Read more »
How to Make a Large Online Class More Interactive
Collaboration, Interaction, and sharing form the heart of an online course. Interaction leads to student engagement, and student engagement indicates success. If you’ve taught, or even attended, an online class of any sort, you know how strange it can seem. If you’ve even done a large-scale Zoom meeting—and who hasn’t, at this point?—you know that… Read more »
What Courses Can I Teach Online?
When looking for online adjunct teaching positions, your first question may well be, “But what can I teach?” Are there particular courses that are more likely to be online than others? Can any course be taught online? Is your particular discipline one in which you’ll find online classes to teach? There is a huge array… Read more »
Teach History Online – Becoming an Online History Professor
Most of us remember March, 2020 as being the month where—as far as education goes—pretty much most brick-and-mortar classrooms were empty. Classes, as we knew them, transitioned nearly entirely online. How did history classes fare? Here’s what the American Historical Association said in their news magazine: “History classes, in particular, are generally more adaptable to… Read more »
What are the Pros and Cons of Teaching Online?
When considering becoming an online adjunct teacher as opposed to a traditional adjunct teacher—which is to say, teaching in an online forum versus teaching in a regular classroom—it’s obvious that there are notable differences in the two approaches. Is one better than the other? Not necessarily. But online teaching has its share of perks, though… Read more »
How Many Hours Do Online Adjunct Professors Work?
The online adjunct professor does not work a 9-to-5 job. Far from it. Even for full-time faculty members, the majority of whom teach in a traditional classroom setting, that typical, 1950’s-era thinking regarding the daily grind doesn’t hold true. Still, the typical full-time faculty member has to hold to some traditions like classroom times, office… Read more »
