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Encouraging Communication in Online Courses
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Description
This instructor-led, eight-week, fully-online course provides insight into and methods for structuring an online course to maximize the quality of interactions among students, and between the instructor and students.
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Audience
Enhancing Communication is for anyone who wants to know more about how to facilitate an online discussion or how to promote student interactions in asynchronous or synchronous discussions.
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Topics
- Achieving synergy in the virtual classroom
- Suggestions and techniques for facilitating asynchronous discussions
- Collaborative and cooperative learning
- Promoting communication and collaboration
- Strategies for providing feedback
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Outline
Module 1 - Building Community and Synergy
Module 2 – Peer Feedback and Assessment
Module 3 - Setting Up Conferencing in an Online Course
Module 4 - Constructivist Theory
Module 5 - Collaborative Learning
Module 6 - Virtual Teams
Module 7 - Synchronous Conferencing
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Goals
The goal of this course is to introduce principles of Web-based communication to enable teachers and instructors to be able to improve communication among students and between students and instructors.
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After completing this course, learners will be able to:
- Examine the duties of facilitators in each of the roles they assume
- Reorganize or create an effective conferencing structure for a particular
discipline
- Create student activities that incorporate constructivist and collaborative
learning principles
- Take part in a synchronous session and critique its usefulness
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This course is eight weeks long, including an online orientation.
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This course requires Online Learning: An Overview or its equivalent as a prerequisite.
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- Complete the online course orientation during week 1.
- Read the instructor's lesson introductions, assigned articles from
the Web and visit web sites that illustrate the tool under discussion.
- Answer weekly discussion questions related to some aspect of communications.
- Engage in positive and meaningful dialog with classmates concerning
the course subject matter.
- Write a summary of the key items covered each week and how they apply
to your field of teaching.
- Complete group projects designed to demonstrate effective methods
for encouraging communication
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This course has a modular structure. Each unit is individually assessed, but successive units build on previous information. The course pedagogy is based on collaborative learning and group participation. Course content is delivered through the use of Web-based reading, and discussions between students and the instructor and among students. Discussion questions will form a basis for discussion.
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This is an intensive course requiring approximately 8-10 hours a week. The time commitment will vary depending an individual's input, needs, and personal study habits. Students are required to log on to the course a minimum of 3 times a week.
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Continuing Education Credit (CEU Credit)
8 Continuing education units (CEU credit) are available for this course.
Graduate or Undergraduate Academic Credit
This course can also be taken for academic graduate credit through the University of Illinois at Springfield. To earn academic credit, you must first enroll as a non-degree or as a degree student through UIS. Visit the How to Enroll page for more information.
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Taking a course for CEUs:
Registration for this course is open to the general public, but there is a
tuition charge for participants who are not employees of
the University of Illinois. The tuition is determined by the number of contact hours and online discussion requirements for the course.
To view the tuition schedule for a specific section of this course, visit the Schedule and
click on the link for that section (e.g. SA0551).
Taking a course for Graduate Credit through the University of Illinois
at Springfield (UIS):
All of our courses except the Advanced Online Seminars may be taken for graduate
courses through UIS. You do not pay twice if you choose this
route. You pay only the fees associated with UIS enrollment. If you choose
to enroll through UIS, you need to follow the instructions.
You do not register through this site.
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