1. Before you begin
First, consider again the intended learning outcomes of your course: what should your students know as they have finished your course. This will often be a combination of knowledge and skills. It helps to make these outcomes explicit, as they may determine many decisions later on.
Then list for yourself the various ways in which these outcomes can be assessed. Reflect on the arguments for the assessment method in your course. Which of these arguments can be realized with online assessment? We are not suggesting that regardless of the circumstances, any method is possible. Online assessment for large groups is a challenge, and may leave only very few options open. More in a short overview of common formats of assessment and their online application.
This may be a good moment to read up on constructive alignment, the way your assessment is related to the intended learning outcomes of your course, and the format of learning and teaching that you have chosen. For a lot of information and recommendations, visit the EDLAB website on the topic.
Lastly, think of the various aspects that define the way of learning and teaching in your course. Which particular activities do you intend to encourage? Critical reading, collaboration, taking initiative, experimentation, providing feedback, problem solving – which elements are most important for you? We encourage you to look for formats that include dimensions of learning that are typical for UM. Fortunately, the various tools available facilitate collaboration in larger and smaller teams, as well as sharing information in the form of lectures and presentations, and of course reading material and links to relevant websites.
Questions?
If you need help creating online lectures or tutorial meetings, please can contact our helpdesk via email. It’s open seven days a week from 10.00 - 22.00 hrs.
Considering these items will help you determine your priorities when you make the transition to an online format for your course, and help you identify what can be retained from the current course design, and which online tools will be relevant.
In many cases, it is likely that the basic structure of your course, and the texts or tasks you are using now, can still be used if you switch to an online approach. Group work can be conducted online, in smaller or larger groups, but you can also decide to let either one or even both take place in the form of an ‘asynchronous’ discussion, where students interact by responding to each other in writing, very much like a chat in social media. As coordinator or tutor you can follow and participate in these threads of conversation, ask questions and provide feedback.
Please note!
Your students have limited to no access to printers! Don’t ask student to submit work in hard copy, nor give them assignments that require them to print documents. For feedback and marking purposes, recommend your students to submit their work in formats that allow for easy commenting and ‘track changes’, such as Word.
Which tools fit your course design?
The Maastricht University Library has developed a tool for identifying online tools that fit the design of your course. The Tool Wheel helps you find tools and provides information about how they work, and where they can be found. Many of these tools are available through EleUM, so readily at your disposal.
Further reading
There are many resources available online about e-learning and online education. Here is a small selection that you may find helpful:
To help you with your first steps teaching online, have a look at this introduction: How to be a better online teacher. Many organisations are currently struggling with the question of how to move their education online in a hurry. In Dutch, under Surf Communities.