Center for Teaching Excellence at AU: Distance Education Training Course

Making Distance Education Work for Students
taken from a survey of students who took DE courses

What Makes a Distance Education Course Work for Students?
• Clean, clearly organized, easy to follow course design
• Straightforward and reliable syllabus; all information in one place
• Strong sense of instructor "presence" in the course
• Audio and video introduction from instructor
• Weekly notes (text and/or audio) provided by instructor to set context and tone for the week's activities
• Clearly articulated instructor expectations of students
• Clear, unambiguous instructions for assignments and tests
• Clearly stated grading criterion
• Adequate lead time on due dates for assignments and tests
• Instructor responds promptly to students' posts and e-mails
• Only well-tested, user-friendly, reliable technology required
• Patient, sympathetic treatment of students experiencing technical problems
• Genuine interaction among class members, including synchronous meetings via chat, phone, or in-person
• Readings available online
• Readings clearly related to course learning objectives
• Prompt, meaningful feedback on assignments and tests
• Instructor posts information on time and accurately
• Instructor facilitates discussion and other forms of interaction
• Instructor provides individual attention to individual students as needed
• Course workload is realistically set for each module
• Time spent on task is productive and proportionate to the percentage of the final grade
• Students can work on projects at their own pace during course
• Students can complete a university or major requirement online
• Students who are usually shy in classroom settings are encouraged to "speak" in asynchronous online discussions

What Makes a Distance Education Course Not Work for Students
• Complex course design that is difficult to follow
• Unclear or confusing instructions
• Essential information that is hidden, scattered, or stated differently in different places
• Last-minute changes in assigned work or tests
• Instructor slow to respond or ignores questions
• Too much material for time allotted to complete specific modules or for the course in general
• Too many assignments or assignments too time consuming for time allotted; multiple assignments due within one week
• Readings that fail to stimulate thinking or seem only distantly related to course subject
• Purchasing texts from which just one or two chapters are assigned
• Instructor feedback on assigned work or tests is slow or absent
• Instructor adds little or nothing to the discussion
• Unrealistic expectations as to how long assignments take to complete online
• Assigned work that is out of proportion with percent of grade
• Required technology that does not work reliably
• Required technology that is too complex and/or gets in the way of learning subject matter
• Synchronous meetings scheduled at inconvenient times for some students
• Lack of significant student-to-student interaction
• Required course only available online when not all students are prepared for or desirous of online learning

Contact
Jim Lee

Phone: (202) 885-2285
Email: jlee@american.edu

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DE Training Course Menu
-DE Course Overview
-Purpose of the Course
-Assignments/Objectives
-History of Distance Learning at AU
-Making DE Work for Students
-Details from Spring '07 Course
-DE Courses Recently Taught at AU

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