This course will help you ‘up’ your game and develop the advanced level skills and techniques that elude even some of the most experienced virtual teachers. We will examine the pitfalls beginning teachers run into and learn how to overcome them by focusing on the fundamentals that have the greatest impact on student learning in a blended or online environment. Throughout the course, you will be challenged to assess your own skills and apply what you are learning by creating a guide, assignment, or resource that you will be able to use in a class that you teach or hope to teach someday soon. By the end of the course, you will not only have a better understanding of the basics, you will be able to put them together like a pro and empower your future students to be voracious learners who are ready to go out and make the world a better place to live.
Upon completing this course, you will be able to:
1. Meet your students' needs and craft a better virtual learning experience for them
2. Set up the learning environment so you get to know your students and they get to know each other
3. Personalize learning by providing feedback using a variety of online tools
5. Identify at-risk students and employ effective strategies for teaching them
6. Compare and contrast online and face-to-face learning communities
7. Apply strategies to make virtual courses more human
This course is part of the Virtual Teacher Specialization
Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom
Offered By
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Week 1: Handling Direct Instruction
Welcome! This week you will begin by familiarizing yourself with the course. Then, we'll examine the role direct instruction plays in a virtual course. I will clarify what I mean by direct instruction and we will look at ways teachers can use some of the latest video/multimedia tools to 'up' student engagement. By the end of this module, you should have a good idea how you can use technology to meet your students needs and craft a better virtual learning experience for them.
1 video (Total 13 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
1 video
3 readings
About this Course10m
Pre-Course Survey10m
Week 1 Optional Resources10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 110m
Week
2Week 2: Passing with Communication and Building Relationships
Welcome to Week 2! In this module, we will focus on what we do as virtual teachers to establish clear and open lines of communication and how we use that to build relationships with our students. In some ways, it’s no different than a traditional face-to-face teacher, but there are also some significant differences. We will look at how to set up the learning environment so you get to know your students, they get to know each other, and everyone has a clear understanding of what's expected of them and the role they play in your course. We will also examine how technology enables us to personalize learning by providing feedback using a variety of online tools.
2 videos (Total 19 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
1 reading
Week 2 Optional Resources10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 210m
Week
3Week 3: Swishing Assignments and Assessments
Our goal as teachers is to get our students to take a shot and improve their techniques, so that over time we see their "shooting percentage" go up! In order to do this, we must design assignments and assessments that engage our students and challenge them to think deeper and go further than they have done before. Our focus for this third module is to rethink assignments and assessments. We will explore what motivates students to perform and learn how to implement some powerful instructional strategies using free tools that can be used in nearly any virtual class. By the end of this module, you will have at least two "go to" techniques that will have the virtual nets in your classes swishing with artifacts of meaningful learning. You will also have the opportunity to submit your assignment and evaluate three of your classmates' work.
2 videos (Total 17 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes
3 readings
Week 3 Optional Resources10m
Assignment & Peer Review Instructions10m
Option 2: Peer Review QFT Template10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 310m
Week
4Week 4: Rebounding for At-Risk and Underperforming Students
Your course is underway, the discussion boards are buzzing with activity and your students are working diligently to produce some exceptional work. Watch out! If you are not actively searching for students hanging out on the sidelines or hiding under the bleachers, you may be forfeiting the greatest joy of your career. This week is going to be a little different. We are going to turn our focus to the students who are often lost, ignored, or troubled. We will define who an at-risk student is, examine some effective strategies for teaching students who are at-risk and we will hear from some educators who know how to help them rebound and score.
2 videos (Total 13 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
1 reading
Week 4 Optional Resources10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 410m
4.3
22 ReviewsTop Reviews
By GL•Jun 24th 2016
An outstanding course. Thoughtful with unique insights into some of the challenges of the virtual classroom with realistic suggestions on how to approach them.
By LK•May 29th 2016
The BEST course in this series by far! This is a real model of what I hope to achieve with my own online courses. Finally!
Instructor
Chris Long
InstructorUC Irvine Extension
About University of California, Irvine
Since 1965, the University of California, Irvine has combined the strengths of a major research university with the bounty of an incomparable Southern California location. UCI’s unyielding commitment to rigorous academics, cutting-edge research, and leadership and character development makes the campus a driving force for innovation and discovery that serves our local, national and global communities in many ways.
About the Virtual Teacher Specialization
This series of courses provides best practices for online instruction, student engagement and virtual community building; effective uses of asynchronous and synchronous technologies, social media and other emerging technologies; and data analysis techniques and student performance measurements to individualize instruction in an online or blended environment. The courses in this Specialization may be taken in any order. Each course can be taken independently. The Specialization concludes with a final project that will give you the opportunity to integrate and apply the skills you have gained throughout the courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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