This Open Educational Resource was designed for post-secondary instructors and teaching assistants who would like to better understand the critical role of online facilitation in online course delivery and build practical online facilitation skills and strategies that are relevant, effective, and authentic.
Just as a well-written script does not come alive until great actors speak the lines, a well-designed online course accomplishes far less without great facilitators to see it through.
While there are many excellent resources and courses available that emphasize course design, this resource is specifically focused on online course delivery and facilitation skills, exploring online facilitation through the lens of student engagement.
Overview
Unit 1. Introduction to online learning
In this unit, we will introduce you to the concepts of online teaching and the facilitator's role.
Unit 2. Student engagement online
In this unit, we will introduce you to the concepts for effective student engagement in online learning.
Unit 3. Student-facilitator interaction
In this unit, we will look closely at the student-facilitator relationship and strategies for building stronger interactions.
Unit 4. Student-content interaction
In this unit, we will examine the student-content relationship and how to increase engagement.
Unit 5. Student-student interaction
In this unit, we will explore ways to facilitate useful and meaningful student-student interactions.
Approaches to this resource
I want the complete educational experience...
If you have access to the online course you will be facilitating, it can be helpful to have it open as you work through the resource. Have a document open to record your thoughts and customized strategies you’ll implement in your course.
If you do not have access to an online course yet, that’s just fine. You can develop strategies that are still personal and authentic to you and will work within your discipline.
I’m just looking for some strategies…
If you are in a rush and/or have some familiarity with engagement and interaction in online courses, you could jump right to the third part (c.) of each unit where you will find some practical strategies and approaches.
We would love to hear any feedback on the module you have. Please email the authors at the email links provided below.