STLHE 2015

Effective education through online learning often depends on sound e-Pedagogy, clearly articulated goals, measurable outcomes, committed and dedicated instructors, and excellent support from educational developers (Li & Akins, 2005). In this talk, presenters will share their experiences with designing and delivering their first online course as a team. New to online teaching, four faculty members from diverse academic ranks and practical experience levels worked together over a period of three months to articulate and apply the topic of e-Pedagogy to design an innovative course that would engage students not only with the content area but also with technology supportive of the chosen pedagogy. Challenged to come to terms with their understandings (and often misunderstandings) of what an effective online course should look like, the instructors engaged in regular meetings with educational developers to discuss and reconcile their visions for the course with research-supported pedagogical techniques and educational technologies (including a 3D environment) available to bring the learning scenarios to life. The actual implementation of the course, in turn, carried with it unforeseen trials as well as much welcomed triumphs. Participants in this session will leave with a first-hand experience of the said course and an understanding of the challenges and successes that can come from collaboratively designed and team-taught online courses.

Li, Q., & Akins, M. (2005). Sixteen myths about online teaching and learning in higher education: Don’t believe everything you hear. TechTrends, 49, 51-50.