3 initial thoughts, ideas, or feelings
- It takes a lot of trial and error and can’t be expected to come together perfectly on the first time around.
- It is NOT easier than face-to-face!
- Strong structure and clear instructions can mean a lot to students.
2 questions
- How do you find the perfect balance between giving students room to breath and abandoning them?
- When does enough structure/instruction tip over into too much?
1 metaphor or simile
In my experience, it can be a terrifying juggling act. You feel like you’re trying to balance many elements to ensure students are getting what they need at the right time and way and you wish someone could help you but sometimes you need to struggle through to learn what works for you, your students, and your course. Then it gets a bit easier.
Hi David,
As for your first question, I think it’s even more complicated by the fact that every student is different, some prefer more room to breathe, while others can feel abandoned despite your best effort. If the course is 2-3 months long, is there time to get to know each student? And if the cohort is 300 or even 50 students, is there an opportunity to get to know all of them?
Denys
So right, Denys. Some students need chats throughout the week and have many questions to be answered while others just keep moving along without ever contacting an instructor. They may both do really well in a course but they have different needs that can be tough to figure out in a single course. There’s never a simple answer, is there?